Honoris Certamen Book 3: Redemption
by Una
Summary: Set after TELL OUR MOMS..., the remaining Wild Cards together with Megan Chambers set out to rescue their friends
1. Prologue

Redemption

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV-Programme 'Space: Above And Beyond' depicted in this story are legal property of Glen Morgan and James Wong, Hard Eight Production and 20th Century Fox Broadcasting and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement intended. This story and the characters of Sqdr. Ldr. Meg Chambers, Major General Chambers, Cpt. Patterson and Lt. Angie Carlson are purely fictional and legal property of U.-U. Fritz. This story is not open for distribution or sale in either fanzines, ftp-sites or elsewhere without the permission of the author. 

Author's Notes: 'Redemption' is the second part of the cliff-hanger 'Tell Our Moms ...' as I imagined it. The first version was written shortly after the last ep of 'S:AAB' was broadcast on 22nd September, 1996 on VOX Television Germany. 

My warmest thanks and lots of hugs to Lale, my 'Turkish tulip', who told me to stop mopping about the ending of 'S:AAB' and just DO IT! And also many 'thank yous' to my beta-reader and brother in spirit Dylan Humphries. 

Comments are always welcome at [USMCSpace@gmx.net][1]

PG13-rated for language and war-time violence

**REDEMPTION**

by

Una

Prologue

"Hey, I'm a hot pilot. Best there's on this ship," Nathan said matter of factly. "After ..."

"Me!" Shane cut in.

"McQueen!" Nathan replied and grinned.

The rest of the Wild Cards shook their heads about this idle chatter and Cooper snorted.

"Who wanna know, anyway," he murmured and looked up from his comic.

"Coop, don't sulk!" Vanessa said and went over to him. "Anybody knows that you're the best shot around here ..."

"Yeah, the living nightmare of all Chigs!" Paul said and turned towards Nathan.

Suddenly, something changed. Vanessa, Shane and Paul went over to the door and before leaving the Wild Cards' quarters, they raised their hands in silent salute.

"Semper Fidelis. Forever faithful, my friend!"

Chapter One

Autumm 2064

Nathan West woke up with a start and was confused at first when he found himself lying on Paul Wang's bunk. Over the passed week he had found himself again and again lying on one of his dead crew-mates' beds. Nathan closed his eyes and with utmost strength he suppressed the tears. Beside him, on Shane Vansen's bed, Cooper Hawkes stirred in his restless sleep. Nathan lay back again and closed his eyes.

_Had it only been a week ago that all of the five-eight had set out to rescue the remaining settlers of the Tellus colony?_ he asked himself. And now only two of the five Marines were still alive.

West's encounter with his love Kylen Celina back on the flightdeck had left a bitter taste in his mouth for he knew that her rescue had been paid with too high a price.

The young Marine turned his head and stared straight into Cooper's blue-grey eyes.

_He is as lonely as I am_, Nathan told himself silently. For the first time in almost two years there was absolute silence in the bunk room of the Cards' quarters and it was a constant reminder what had happened the week before.

"It's so silent around here," Hawkes said, voicing Nathan's own thoughts aloud and he buried his face into Shane's pillow, taking in her scent.

He still had to come to terms with the fact that his friend and CO was gone. When he had first joined the Marine Corps he had felt like hell, but after a while Shane had made him feel comfortable around the other natural born humans and they had become friends. Shane even becoming something like a mother to him - the only mother he would ever have. The young IV felt a deep pain in his heart as he remembered something Shane had asked him a long time ago.

_Did you ever lose someone close to you?_ she had asked him on the transportation to their first mission on Mars. Back then he had not answered her for he had not known what she had meant. But now he knew and he wished he had never been able to learn from experience. He felt alone and abandoned and he wished nothing more than that the door would open and Shane Vansen, Vanessa Damphousse and Paul Wang would enter and chide them for sleeping in late.

The young Marine sighed and sat up in bed. When he heard Nathan stirring beside him on the other side of the small corridor, he looked up and they both exchanged a long look.

The two Marines stood up and slowly, they changed into the standard USMC uniform to face the Commodore. They knew that they would be court-martialled soon. Giving away compartmentalised information about the final attack of the Allied Forces to an Alien on Anvil, planet 2063-Y, was not considered well by Fleet-Command to say the least and the JAG officer who had interrogated them over the passed three days had made it unmistakably clear that they could end up in the brigs.

West inhaled deeply and stared at the contents of his locker. Over the passed one and a half years the Marine Corps had become his family.

Family? he asked bitterly. This family of his had been demanding; always taking from him what he was willing to give ... and more. Nathan closed his eyes, resting his forehead against the locker door. He was sick of giving more away from him than he had thought was possible. First the Corps had taken away his brother Neil and now Shane and the others. The Corps would surely take away the rest of what had been left of him as well: his stripes as a Lieutenant and discharge him dishonourably. He couldn't stand it any more.

Nathan looked over to Hawkes who sent his lockerdoor shut with a loud thud. Watching the young man, Nathan was sure that he could not fathom the meaning of being court-martialled.

_What am I thinking?_ Nathan asked himself silently. _He is a Marine for crying out loud. He had been through the drags already when he had been sentenced by some judge who had thought it funny to sentence a tank to do time in the Corps. Nathan fought the sudden urge to laugh out loud bitterly._

He had seen Hawkes in combat, killing mercilessly and yet Nathan knew that Cooper was still a seven year old child in a twenty-five year old body. And watching his friend he wondered for the umpteenth time how Cooper could bear all this. The last time he had seen Cooper in such a shocked and desperate state was shortly after his flirtation with the green meanies. Back in detox he had watched his friend as Coop had given up hope. The same look was on the young Marine's face now and Nathan feared that Cooper would do something stupid, like getting himself killed while trying to look for 'Phousse and Vansen. Shaking his head, he followed Hawkes to the O-room.

Cdre. Ross was already waiting for them and as they came to a halt in front of their CO, Ross dismissed their salute with a nod. The Commodore leant against the desk and stared at a point between his crossed ankles and both Marines shifted their weights uneasily from one foot to the other.

"Sir?" Nathan inquired, a shiver of anticipation and dread running down his spine.

"Five-eight..., " Ross hesitated for a moment, then commenced: "Lieutenants, Fleet-Com has contacted me. Your charges have been dropped and they have granted you ten weeks R&R ..." Cooper shot Nathan a quizzical glance.

"Sir, I don't understand. What we did back on Anvil ..." Cooper began.

"What did or did not happen on 2063-Yankee is none of your business, Marine! The whole mission has been compartmentalised. It never happened, UNDERSTOOD?" he asked angrily and brought his face close to Cooper's. But Hawkes was not silenced by this. He shook his head like a stubborn child.

"To hell with Fleet-Com. We've friends down there. At least give us the chance to look for them ..." he started again but one look into the Commodore's eyes made him hesitate and he swallowed hard.

"You will not, I repeat, WILL NOT be assigned to the SAR team ...", Ross cut in sharply, directing his gaze to Nathan as well. "You will report back on the Saratoga to meet your new wingmen on 4th December!"

"Sir, yes, Sir," both Marines answered in unison, but it was clear they were highly confused.

Ross closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his finger across the bridge of his nose.

He knew he should tell them that Fleet-Com had already sent out SAR teams to look for Vansen and Damphousse but telling them would surely mean they would go AWOL and look for their crew-mates themselves. But there was another reason he wanted them as far away as possible from the 'Toga and planet Anvil. When he had heard about the dropping of charges against the Marines he had been relieved, after all he had pulled all the strings possible to get them off the hook but then he had heard about the rumours which had spread aboard his ship and there were some people who wanted the hide of those two for screwing up 'Operation Roundhammer'.

After that bit of information he had even contacted his friend Chambers back on Earth and he, too, had done everything possible to help his Marines. An hour ago he had received an urgent email from Major General Chambers. It had simply said that the 'chicks were off the hook'. Chambers and his cryptic messages, he had thought but the postscript had surprised him even more. 'Return them to their mother hen'. He had had not any contact with McQueen, for what, five days now. He had heard that he was due to have surgery and he didn't know what he and Chambers were up to. But he would know eventually, either McQueen or Chambers would contact him as soon as they knew that the remaining 'Cards were safely on their way.

"That's settled then. Your ride, the USS Dakota, leaves in forty mikes. Dismissed!"

After Cdr. Ross had left the o-room, the young Marines exchanged a quizzical look with each other.

"Why ... didn't he reprimand us?" Cooper asked and shook his head.

Although he had not been fully able to understand what they had done wrong on Anvil by telling the Alien that Operation Roundhammer was already under way, he had known that they all had retaliation to fear. And yet if the resulting peace-talks had been a success, their skipchatter would have been looked upon as a good deed. The young tank rubbed his temples wearily as if he wanted to force that bit of information into his brain.

Nathan was as shocked as Coop. He should have felt relieved and yet he had the uncanny feeling that something was behind the whole compartmentalisation of mission 'Homeward Bound'. From experience he knew that Fleet-Command had little to say in this war. Mega-Space-Organisations like AeroTech were behind most of the schemes and they seemed to know more than they let on.

"I don't know about you, Coop, but I have a bad feeling about this!" Nathan commented matter of factly.

On their back to their quarters, Cooper's shock had worn away and he was growing angrier every minute.

"They wanna substitute Wang, Damphousse and Vansen just like that?" Cooper asked and shook his head. "They can't do that, I mean not 'til we really know for sure they're... dead ..." His fist crashed into the metal wall of the corridor.

"The spooks didn't pick up any SOS signals from Shane and Vanessa," Nathan replied, dragging Cooper along. He desperately wanted to believe that at least Shane and Vanessa were still alive and secretly, he was determined to look for them. But as it was right now, both Hawkes and he himself had to keep a low profile.

The young Marine closed his eyes, trying to force back the memories. Back in the cockpit of the ISSCV, he had watched in horror as Wang's ISSCV-shuttle had been destroyed by the Chigs but the disabled safety cockpit of Vansen's vehicle had entered the stratosphere of planet Anvil. There had not been an explosion, only Vansen's voice trailing away as the com-channel was interrupted.

_Semper Fidelis, always faithful, my friend_, she had said and Nathan had felt as if something deep inside of him had been torn apart.

"Come on, Coop, let's pack..." Nathan said wearily and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Cooper followed his friend back to their quarters and when they entered it, they encountered a Sergeant who had been busy taking away the personal belongings of their dead comrades.

"Keep ya dirty hands away from 'em," Cooper shouted angrily as the Sergeant tried to rip off the photographs above Shane's bunk. The young officer stepped quickly away from Cooper's menacing figure and nodded his head.

"Sir, yes, ...Sir," he stammered. "I was asked to return the personal effects to... to their families..., Sir."

"We'll take care of them!" Nathan said as he dismissed the Sergeant with a nod of his head. After the Sergeant had scurried out of the room, Nathan stepped closer to Wang's bed and looked at the pictures his friend had put onto the wall above his pillow. He smiled when he scrutinised a photograph showing Paul in a Chicago Bears-outfit. Cooper came up to his side. He had picked up the plastic bags the Sergeant had left behind.

"Do ya want to hand 'em over to their families?" he inquired slowly.

"Yeah," Nathan answered, turning towards him. "We'll do it together and afterwards we'll visit my family..."

"Nathan..." Cooper began. "I dunno that's such a good idea. I mean, I'm not sure that your family wanna see me ..."

"Where'd you want to go, Coop? There's nothing you can return to." Nathan asked angrily, echoing the very words McQueen had told them before their last mission.

Vanessa had fantasised about a civilian life, what she would do as soon as she had returned to Earth. Back then they all had given in to the luxury of imagining their lives after the war. Only Cooper unsure about his future. When McQueen had said that as a tank he had nothing to return to, Nathan had realised for the first time that Cooper would be alone once the Wild Cards were discharged.

He shook his head slowly, then grinned sheepishly.

"Please, accompany me to my parents' place. I don't know how to face them after what has happened to Neil ..."

After Cooper and Nathan had packed their duffels, they left for the flightdeck. West was appalled to see that the flightdeck did not show any signs of the terrible things which had happened there.

Only hours ago he had said good-bye to his girl-friend Kylen Celina here. He had felt relieved to see her. To hold her in his arms once again. But their meeting had not put his doubts at rest. Still he saw the clone on Kazbek who had had almost enticed him to leave his friends alone.

Would he ever be able to look at Kylen and see 'her' instead of the clone he had killed? Nathan closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push away the thought. But try as he might other images overwhelmed him. Images about McQueen as he was rushed off to an emergency unit on board of an ISSCV.

Their commanding officer had been attending the peace talks when a bomb had exploded, killing several high-ranking officers including the Alien representative and therefore shattering all hopes for a peace treaty. McQueen had been severely wounded and for all they knew, he would be discharged from active service once he had recovered.

_If he recovered_, West thought. From what he had been able to detect inmidst of all the bloodstained bandages the Colonel was likely to loose his leg and be immobilised for the rest of his days. Watching the techies and occasional MP-guard scurrying over the deck, he still could see the commotion, the bloodstained bodies of the dead officers put into the coffins to be transported back to Earth.

They were scheduled to leave for Earth on the USS Dakota in twenty mikes and when their ride was announced, they shouldered their packs. Other Marines had been granted leave as well and their happy skipchatter was filling the small transporter shuttle. Cooper and Nathan did not join their antics, separating themselves from the others as they took up lodgings on the Dakota after lift-off.

During their journey back to Earth, they talked little and both men were deeply absorbed in their own thoughts. Keeping separated from the others, only mingling with the crew-men when they went to the mess. If they went.

Nathan was worried about Cooper. The big IV had retreated to some place in his mind where his friend was not able to reach him. Watching Hawkes as he lay on his bunk motionless, Nathan thought about the last time he had seen his friend like this. Shortly after he had been released from detox Cooper had kept to himself and only with the joint effort of all 'Cards he had snapped out of his self-imposed guilt-trip. Back then, he had thought that nothing could harm Cooper's equilibrium but his drug addiction had changed him.

Oh, he had been his old self again but some of his childlike naivety had been lost. West closed his eyes, shutting out the image of Cooper lying on the bunk across him. 

All he could do was wait and just be there if his friend needed him.

Cooper stared out of the port above his bunk. Staring at the stars blinking in the deep darkness of space, he tried to put some sense into all the things which had happened. In times of confusion he had always been able to turn to Shane for advice.

Shane ...

Closing his eyes, a vivid image of his CO rose before his mind's eye.

There had been a time when he had been infatuated by her. It was during their first mission as a Marine Corps squadron that he had tried to kiss her, infuriating her so much that she had slapped him. Back then he had been angry, assuming that she hated tanks but over the passed months he had realised that her reaction had had nothing to do with him being an In-Vitro but that he had just overstepped himself.

_When had his feelings for her changed_? he asked himself._ For all he knew from his accumulated sensations over the last seven years, he knew that he had felt something like ... what? Love? for her._

No, that wasn't the right word, was it? He had wanted to be close to her for sure but over the months this feeling had turned considerably. With her ability to make everyone relax in her company, she had taught him the way of humans. Shane had become his mother, well sort of anyway. The closest he would get to having a mother. And the rest of the Wild Cards had become his family as well.

Nathan, Mr. Hotshot as he had called him during their HIST, had become as close to him as a brother. From him he had learned what it meant to be family despite the occasional quarrel. 'Phousse, with her laughter and no-nonsense talk, had taken a place in his heart, too. She had been the little sister he had never had. And Wang?

He had always thought that the Wanger had been the luckiest of all of them. Always ready to make fun of everything and everyone, Paul had shown him that there was more to life than duty and obedience which had been forced into him by the monitors. Sometimes he had not understood what had made Wang tick besides his love for sports but when he had seen his heartbreak over his lost innocence and willpower back on Kazbek, he had for once understood what the Marine had felt. Self-hatred and disgust were some feelings he had come to know quite intimately since his birth in a gestation tank back in Philly.

And thinking about the gestation facility brought his thoughts back to McQueen. Ever since he had met the 'Angriest Angel', he had seen in him the father he had never had. Over the last eighteen months since he had been forced to join the Corps McQueen had become his role-model.

Thinking of his CO he fingered the ID-tag around his neck unconsciously. Beside the usual dogtag and PLB there was another gadget attached to it. He picked it up and stared at it for long moments.

He turned his head back to the port again and inhaling deeply, he tried to force back the tears which gagged his throat.

He closed his palm around the RAF Corps signet ring. Holding it in his hand, he could almost feel the presence of McQueen and his godchild Flight Lieutenant Megan Chambers. Squinting his eyes to be able to read the words on top of the ring, he had to smile despite himself.

_FLY WITH THE BEST; DIE LIKE THE REST!_

That were McQueen and Chambers alright.

Chambers had been part of the UFEP, a United Forces Exchange Programme, and she and her squad had been assigned to the five-eight a couple of months back. After the 'Cards had found out that she was McQueen's godchild, Cooper had almost screwed the whole thing when he had kissed her one evening on the deserted flightdeck, flirting with disaster.

_Oh man, was he kiddin' himself or what? They had taken off like a house on fire, using Shane's words. Just like Shane, Meg had touched something inside of him and he had felt immediately drawn to her. Especially after he had discovered that her father was a tank like himself and that McQueen was her uncle._

But had that been the only reason? He sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. She had treated him like a normal human being. Back then he had wanted nothing more than being with Meg and after she had left, her image still fresh in his memory, they had written long letters to each other.

When had he stopped writing to her? He asked himself. Of course, he knew. He had stopped writing when he had been addicted to the green meanies. He wasn't proud of that and when finally the knowledge had broken through the constant haze he had been in back in detox, disgust and self-hatred had prevented him from even thinking of Meg. He had felt dirty and ashamed after that.

   [1]: mailto:USMCSpace@gmx.net



	2. All is lost

Redemption

Chapter Two

Somewhere on planet 2063-Yankee

_Darkness .... darkness all around me and the pain, the pain is unbearable. Pain soaring through every vein and fibre of my body._

Where am I? I can't see ... The pain ... it's tearing me apart. I can't see, I can't breathe ...

Where am I? WHO am I? Can't think, can't remember ... Sleep ... I want to sleep. I grope around in the darkness and all I can feel with my hands is cold metal. I can feel some nooks and crannies beneath my fingertips and I know that these are steel-plated boards.

I'm so cold and I want to sleep, but I can't. I have to know what happened. Deep down I know that I wasn't alone ...

The Elroy-L model watched as the dark figure slumped back against the wall of the small cell and he grinned.

It always made his CPU skip a beat so to speak, when he saw humans like that. But this little human wasn't much fun as the other four. The others were stronger and tried to resist him during interrogation, accelerating his processors every time they screamed the hell out of themselves.

But this one didn't even know what IT was. He had taunted the officer, telling outrageous tales about cruel humans who wanted to have this officer' head served on a platter. For all that dumb eggbrain knew or thought to know he could easily persuade it to believe it was a Chig!

The AI sighed dramatically and turned. Yesterday one of the Chigs even barged into one of his little games and ended it abruptly. Those Chigs! They were afraid of humans and yet thought them a formidable adversary. He had been considering to 'take a chance' when the Chiggy officer had demanded that he would end the brutal interrogation but he had re-considered. It wouldn't do him, Elroy-L, any good to pick a fight with a Chig. 

NOT YET! He thought and strolled along the corridor to the interrogation room.

When he entered Felicity-OHL bent over another human, slowly inserting a syringe into the man's stomach. Elroy smirked, he knew that 'Sewel-fuel' hurt like hell in the man's intestines.

"OHMYGOD!" the scream echoed through the empty corridors. The young pilot forced his legs upward in a protective motion but his legs only strained against the metal clasps which bound him to the stretcher.

"Oh, honey, did that hurt you?" Felicity asked in a cooing tone, caressing the man's brow.

"I don't want to hurt you, Captain Patterson. Just give me the information I require ..."

The man on the stretcher forced his eyes to open and stared at the silicate.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he hissed and stifled another scream as the liquid raged through his guts. Felicity grabbed him hard by his throat.

"Tell me, honey. Tell me what you we're doing on Anvil?"

There was a momentary silence before Patterson opened his mouth.

"Patterson, Geoffrey. Captain of the 35th Airborne Wing of the USAF. Tag number 905-334-21 ..." he murmured as he passed out.

The silicate backhanded him across the face but the young pilot did not wake up again.

"Relax, Fel-babe," Elroy had come over to her and caught her wrist. "You know how delicate those Carbonites are ..."

Felicity-OHL turned and smirked at him.

"You had any luck?" she asked but Elroy shook his head. The crosses of his eyes deleting somewhat by a trick of the light.

"A Chig barged in before the fun was really starting ..."

He went back to the other interrogation room where the Justin EB-unit had put another of his little 'play-things' onto the stretcher.

No fun anymore, Elroy thought as he stepped over to the still figure lying on the stretcher. With a sigh he unscrewed the cap of his index-finger and the processors underneath it gave off a static sound as the isolation was removed from them.

"I don't want to hurt you, Marine. It's so much easier if you just ... talk. Why don't you tell me what you were doing here?" he whispered as the officer opened the eyes.

"What ... ?" a faint voice inquired, barely audible and just barely human.

"Why do you resist? Just tell me what I want to know and you're free. Free to leave this camp ..." Elroy coaxed.

I can't stand this any longer. I just ... CAN'T. Why are they doing this? WHY? Anvil ... Planet 2063-Yankee ... Why was this important? Why?

Semper Fi, my friend ... Nathan ...? Why is this name important to me? Why do I dream about a planet, shrouded in fog? A voice ... a face ... NO ... two faces ...

"Coop ...?" the pilot whispered.

"Yes, tell me what happened to Coop? Was he the one who left you abandoned on this planet? Tell me. You don't owe him anything ... He has left you ..."

_Why do I have to think about baseball? It's important I have to remember!! But I can't. I CAN'T!!! The pain ... the smell of burning flesh ... MY FLESH ... I don't feel anything._

I can't ... feel ... anything ...

"C'mon, you don't need to go through all this again, Marine," Elroy whispered into the officer's ear. "Tell me what you did tell the Chig in the cave? Then you'll be free and we will give you everything you want ..." He edged the electrical surge closer into the flesh.

_NO!!! STOP THOSE SCREAMS!!! MAKE THEM STOP!!! I can't stand it anymore, just make them stop! OHMYGOD, it's ME! I'm screaming ..._

Elroy let go of the pilot's arm which fell back against the metal railing.

It was no good. The pilot was too far away for him now to give him any information. A Chig stepped forward and got the pilot out of the interrogation-room, Elroy watched in disgust and turned his back, replacing the cap onto his finger again.

HMS Wellington, Groombridge Sector

The call had just come in after the debriefing had finished. Squadron Leader Megan Louise Chambers wearily trotted off to Air-Commodore Coulthard's office, leaving her squadron to their well-deserved showers. For a moment Meg hesitated in front of the Commodore's hatch then she knocked on the door.

"Who's at my door?" a loud voice inquired from the inside and Megan cleared her throat.

"Sir, Sqdr. Ldr. Chambers, Sir," she answered tiredly and she was surprised that the door opened so quickly.

"Come in, Sqdr. Ldr., and have a seat!" Coulthard demanded after he had dismissed her salute with a wave of his hand. Meg sat down in front of his desk and looked at her CO expectantly.

"Chambers, is it true you have been on constant duty for what ... ten months now?" he asked her and Megan moved uneasily in her chair.

"Yes, Sir. I was due to go on liberty just before Ixion but with _Roundhammer_ under way it never happened, Sir!" Meg replied and caught herself short before yawning in font of her CO.

"Well, with the help of those Marines we don't have to worry about that anymore, do we?" Coulthard replied sarcastically and opened a folder. "You have been granted about nine weeks leave, Chambers. Someone must have finally realised that you have at least three months leave on your record and with the VC and your promotion they thought it would be a nice gesture ..."

Megan was surprised by this. _Nine weeks? Lord, what would she do with it?_

"Well, you really surprise me with your silence. At least I'd had expected that you would be overcome with joy ..."

"I am, Sir. It's just that I didn't expect it, that's all. Nine weeks? I've never been grounded for so long except after the battle in the Procyon Sector, " the young woman gnawed at her lower lip and wearily rubbed her temples. "Sir, with all due respect may I speak candidly?" she inquired and when the Commodore nodded, she commenced: "Sir, do you have anything to do with it? I know you weren't satisfied with my performance lately but that was due to the constant battle stress ..."

"Meg, you sound as if I have grounded you for the rest of your life," Coulthard said and shook his head. "And no, to speak candidly, I was very happy with your performance. Given the chance I would order you to split up the leave and take two days at a time over the next couple of years but this is an order from top brass! All you can do is relax, enjoy your ride home and do whatever young girls like you do when they are on leave ..." he smiled at that. It would be nice to see Chambers in a dress for a change.   
His own daughter was in Chambers' age and all she could think of was what to wear for her next date. Watching the young Squadron Leader in front of him he wondered what had made Chambers go off to the RAF in the first place. He had seen her record, almost knew it by heart by now and her career was exceptional, she was one of three youngest Squadron Leaders in RAF history but that was no surprise considering who her parents were.  
He knew that her mother came from a long line of career officers and her father was one of the highest ranking tank-officers in the US Marine Corps. Although the Armed Forces had allowed women to join up for armed combat sixty years ago, only a few had really taken the offer. But to see a young woman who had signed up at the age of sixteen at RAF Innsworth, Personnel & Training Command Headquarters, to pursue an officer's career was still new to him. 

"Sir, you're serious, aren't you?" Megan asked and she looked as if she was to be taken to the brigs indefinitely.

"Yes, Squadron Leader! Firth will stand in as the honcho of your pack that will keep his mind off from thinking up new stupid jokes in the tavern."

Megan grimaced, then nodded slowly. The last time her second in command had free time on his hands he had 'redecorated' the ship's tavern with tissue paper. Her squad had needed two days to clean up the mess so to speak.

"Well, I've taken the liberty to board a seat on the _HMS Canterbury_ for you. She is a fast vessel and is due to reach Earth in ten days ..." Coulthard eyed the woman closely when she groaned. "Yes, Chambers. An all-Navy ship! No Spitties or Skyhawks anywhere ..."

After Megan had been dismissed she slowly walked back to her quarters. Coulthard had given her a small envelope before she had walked out of his office and now she stared at it, uncertain what to do.

With a sigh she opened it and as she started reading, all colour drained from her face. The message was clear, even to her exhausted and confused state of mind: _the 'Cards have lost Joker, Queen and Ace, they are MIA ... McQueen needs your help._

Megan swallowed and read the message again. That had been the reason why she had been given liberty. Quickly, Megan stashed the letter in one of the pockets of her flightsuit and walked back to her quarters with a determined step. If her father thought it was important to have her on Earth than he and McQueen were planning something.

Earth

Tyrus Cassius McQueen looked in disgust at the artificial leg that had replaced his own. Ever since they had told him that an AI leg would be the only chance to bring him back to the Saratoga as a serving officer again, he had had mixed feelings. As much as he wanted to be able to get back to the 'Toga, _he hated this **THING!**_ When he had first come out of ER after that fateful peace talk, the only thing he could think of was dying. How could he live when three of his kids were missing and supposedly dead? But when he returned to Earth, his friend Ray Chambers had taken care of him, yelling at him that he had no reason to feel pity for himself, that he was behaving like all those other stupid sulking tanks. In fact, giving him a brushing down like he was some kind of schoolchild. It had made him so angry at first but soon it had dawned on him why Chambers had done it and he had been grateful. He had given his ok. to the surgery and as the physiotherapy had started he cursed his friend over and over again. But Chambers had laughed at that, even teasing him more.

This morning Chambers had informed him that his daughter Megan was on her way back to Earth and if he kept behaving like a dweeb she would give him a brushing down even Chambers wouldn't have the courage to dare. McQueen had smiled at that. 

_His friend couldn't know that she had done the very thing not a long while ago, when she had been under his command. He knew what Megan Chambers was capable of, even going AWOL to look for missing Marines. Something she had done in the past, something he was about to ask her in a few days time when she arrived here._

The Colonel inhaled deeply and watched a bee as it flew from one flower to the other. Chambers had put him into his family's summer house in Maine where he had spent innumerous R&Rs with his friend's family.

Beside the Corps this house had been a home for him. He stood up from the wicker chair and went to the end of the porch and into the garden. The leg still felt strange but it reacted just like his old one as he strolled the overgrown garden.

_Even better_,he thought with a smirk on his face.


	3. Earth

Redemption

Chapter Three

Earth

Cooper felt strangely relieved after they had visited their friend's families and especially Shane's sisters. Now after more than six weeks of travelling through space and across the country, he was sitting beside Nathan on a flight to the West's farm house in Maine. The young Marine had been surprised that Nathan had asked him to accompany him and he was a little nervous about the trip. When he had first joined the Corps, he and West had some quarrels together but eventually they had buried their enmities towards each other and had become friends.

Nathan sensed that Cooper was nervous about meeting his family and he could understand why. He was nervous as hell himself and he did not know what to expect of his parents. Since the death of his younger brother Neil, he had had no connections with his parents. The pain of loosing his baby brother KIA was too fresh and deep inside his heart, Nathan knew that his parents held him responsible for the death of his brother.

_If I hadn't joined the Corps to be able to search for Kylen, perhaps Neil would have never got the idea to follow in my footsteps in the first place, Nathan thought and closed his eyes for a short moment. There was no use denying it. His actions had caused his parents great pain_. The young Marine looked out of the window and when the Captain of the plane announced they would land soon, he grimaced.

Both men groaned when they left the plane, flexing their muscles awkwardly. After being accustomed to their state of the art space-crafts they were not used to the more conservative way of travelling anymore. In their SA-43 transatmospheric attack jets they could travel almost with lightning speed, never being aware that they covered thousands of MSKs in only minutes. But back on Earth, there was a different way of commuting, more slowly and the Marines were unnerved by it. 

When they approached the comfortably built farmhouse, West stopped still for a moment, taking in the peace and calm of the scenery. In a flash he remembered the last time he had been here. Shane had walked beside him and his brother Neil had come out of the house, throwing his arms around him in a bear hug. That would never happen anymore, both were gone.

Nathan reluctantly knocked on the door and when he heard soft stirrings inside of the house, he opened the flydoor and stepped inside. With Cooper close at his heels, he entered the hall. 

"Nathan!" His mother had appeared in the doorway and almost slipped a plate of china she had been currently drying with a kitchen-towel.

Before he was able to greet his mother, Mrs. West embraced her eldest son and started weeping. Drawn to the commotion, Mr. West and Nathan's youngest brother John entered the hall and after John had calmed his mother, the Wests greeted their guests properly.

Cooper was surprised that the Wests had no recriminations towards him, on the contrary they seemed to be eager to make him feel comfortable. Especially Mrs. West made a fuss over him after Cooper had commented that he could check into a hotel for the time they stayed with the Wests.

"I don't want to hear about this, Lt. Hawkes," Mrs. West exclaimed.

"We are delighted to have guests in our house, especially now after Neil ..." she broke off and wiped her eyes in embarrassment.

During dinner Nathan was determined not to talk about the Corps but John swarted his valiant stand and asked a continuous flow of questions which were directed at him and Cooper. He was surprised that his parents seemed at ease with their youngest offspring's interest and when he helped his mother preparing the dessert in the kitchen, he gently pried her for an answer.

"Mom, if it hurts you too much to hear about the Corps I'll shut John up ..." he said as he picked up the plate with the cake.

"No, no, Nathan. I think ... I think we should honour Neil by talking about a subject which was very dear to his heart," she gave him a crooked smile and petted his arm awkwardly.

"I just hope John won't join the Corps ..."

"Fleet-Command has pressed the Congress to put through an amendment bill that younger brothers of serving officers will not be recruited any longer," Nathan replied, trying to reassure his mother that John would not be able to join the Corps.

"I just hope that will be put through soon, John is so much like Neil," Mrs. West said, suppressing her tears.

"You joined the Corps to look for Kylen ... Now ... that she is back you could discharge yourself..."

"No, mom," the young man shook his head.

"It's true that I joined the Corps because of Kylen but I cannot leave now, the war is still at large and the Corps needs every serving officer. I'm a Marine, sworn to the Corps ..."

Mrs. West watched her oldest son. Nathan had changed considerably over the one and a half years he was away now. When he was one of the Tellus settlers, he had been a cheerful young man, always ready to laugh but now there was a gloomy countenance about him and he was distant to her. Although Kylen had returned home a week ago, Nathan had not asked about her. It seemed as if with rescuing Kylen, his purpose had changed. He was not the young boy any more. Mrs. West saw a tough Marine who had seen more atrocities over the past months than any other of her family. New tears welled up in her eyes but she suppressed them nevertheless. She smiled at her son and they both walked over to the living-room.

After their meal they watched the newscasts on TV. After the anchorperson had briefed the audience of the newest incidents of the war, there was a short commercial break before the station showed a short interview with Colonel McQueen. Cooper bent forward when the strained face of his commanding officer showed up on the screen.

The interviewer, a young blonde woman, asked him about his experiences during combat and both Marines were surprised when they listened to him while he told the audience about the Wild Cards.

"The five-eight was the best squad the US Marine Corps had and I'm proud that I've been their commanding officer. But despite the fact that Fleet-Com thinks that three officers are supposedly MIA, I'm convinced that there will be no need to recruit new officers for the Wild Cards," McQueen's soft voice boomed from the loudspeakers.

The Wests were silent as they listened to it but Nathan jumped to his feet and stormed outside. Cooper watched him go but he was not able to offer him any comfort because he felt as lost and as alone as West.

"What makes you so certain that there is no need to recruit new officers, Colonel?" the interviewer asked. "Do you have any knowledge about the missing Marines or will the five-eight be disbanded because they gave away compartmentalised information to an Alien?"

"No comment!" McQueen said and the camera changed its focus and the interview was interrupted and when Cooper looked up, he saw that Nathan had rejoined them again.

"What do ya think?" Cooper queried, clearing his throat. "Does McQueen know anything we aren't aware of?"

"Obviously," Nathan replied. "But I don't understand why he agreed to be interviewed in the first place. Does that mean he'll be coming back or what?"

"Perhaps you two should visit this Colonel McQueen," Mr. West suddenly said and both Marines watched him expectantly.

"Something's up that's for sure. In the interview they said that the Colonel stays at a house a few miles away from here. You two should pay him a visit ..."

"Don't you think Nathan should visit Kylen and her family first?" Mrs. West inquired rather sharply but her husband dismissed her with a shrug of his shoulder.

"What the Colonel said sounded more like a coded message to the remaining officers of the 58th squadron, perhaps he knows something interesting ..."

At the end of the interview Cooper's gaze was caught by a slender, young woman, clad in a flightsuit of the RAF. When the interviewer turned towards her, he was struck by the sight of Flight Lieutenant Meg Chambers, McQueen's godchild.

"I understand I have to congratulate you, Squadron Leader Chambers," the woman introduced the officer. "Isn't it unusual that someone given your family background is promoted to Sqdr. Ldr. so soon AND awarded with the Victoria Cross? As your father is an In-Vitro, don't you think that your promotion was a PR trick to calm the somewhat heated discussion about In-Vitro civil rights especially in the RAF?"

"My squadron, the seven-ninth RAF Flight Wing, received the VC for their fight at the battle of Ixion, ma'am," the young Squadron Leader answered sternly. "But I don't think that my father was the reason that I was promoted to Squadron Leader. I joined the RAF to pursuit an officer's career before the war broke out. It is common rule that senior officers are promoted because of their performance in battle and not because it is good for publicity, ... ma'am!"

"Yes, of course," the interviewer cut in. "I didn't want to imply that, Squadron Leader."

The interview was interrupted by another commercial break again and Nathan watched Cooper as he shifted uncomfortably on his seat.

"Wasn't this the young Sqdr. Ldr. you wrote us about?" Mr. West asked his son and Nathan nodded.

"Yup, that was Chambers alright. I'm amazed that she remained so cool and calm when the interviewer implied she had only been promoted as a PR ploy ..." Nathan shot Cooper a glance but the young Marine held his gaze closely to the ground. West sighed inwardly and rubbed his neck wearily. He knew that Coop and Meg had been more than mutual acquaintances once. Not that they had an affair or something, far from it. McQueen would have grilled Hawkes if they had but for some time Nathan had thought that his friend would get lucky for once, he even had coached him with the letter writing until the IV had been confident enough to write to Meg on his own. The fact that Coop didn't seem touched by Megan's sight, made him nervous.

_If I just could only find a way to get him out of this damn' depressive state_, Nathan thought.

Soon, Cooper retreated to the guest room but he wasn't tired really. He stood in front of the window and stared into the darkness. Seeing Meg after so many months had given him a definite start. Suddenly, he remembered all the little details about her. How she had laughed and made fun of him, how she had tasted the first time they had kissed. He shook his head. It was no good, thinking of Meg made him miserable and it scared the hell out of him.

There was a knock at the door, Nathan hesitatingly came in and sat down on the bed.

"It's funny, you know, almost every night over the passed months I've wished to have a room to myself at the 'Toga and now ..." he shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I guess it's not so important any more..." he looked up at Cooper expectantly who still stared out of the window.

"It's so silent without the others breathing ..." the young Marine commented and turned towards Nathan. He massaged his temples wearily. "I've been thinking about what your father said ..." Cooper started. "McQueen sounded kinda strange during the interview as if he wanted to say that he knows something about Shane and Vanessa. Tomorrow I'll go visit him."

"I'm coming with you. If McQueen has any information about Shane and 'Phousse then I want to hear it ..." Nathan said.

"What about Kylen? She expects to see ya ..." Hawkes inquired and watched Nathan as the man closely inspected his hands.

After so many months of doubts Nathan was not sure how to face Kylen. The short intermission aboard the Saratoga had been strange and he had felt at a loss. He still loved her but he had changed.

"I'll ask her to accompany us ..." Nathan said, not sure if this was a good idea after all. He went to the door but after a moment of hesitation he turned back to Cooper, staring hard at him.

"Coop?" he asked and Cooper's head jerked around. "You have to tell her!"

"Tell who?" Cooper answered defiantly and turned towards the window again.

"Tell Meg what happened before our R&R on Bacchus, I can imagine she is worried sick about you ..." Hawkes turned around and clutched his fists angrily.

"To hell with ya, West!" he hissed. "How da ya think I'd explain to her that I'm just like any other stupid tank? That I almost screwed up the lives of the five-eight because of some damn pills!?"

"For crying out loud, you stupid tank!" Nathan shouted and his temper flared. "Do you think that you're the only one who was affected by the accident? More than once I wished myself to hell for almost KIA you ..." Nathan watched Cooper's rigid face. Even yelling had no effect on him. The young man sighed and tried to calm himself.

"You came through alright," Nathan said. "What happened back then wasn't your fault. The medics who gave you the meanies are to blame and I know Meg will understand. If not for her sake then do it for yourself and talk to her. Coop, you have to stop this! I don't want to loose you as well ..." After that West left the room and Hawkes turned back towards the window.

_Yeah, he had come through alright back then. But he still had doubts about their mission 'Homeward Bound'. What if he had not stayed with the POWs back in the transporter? What if he had been with 'Phousse and Shane, would he have been able to prevent their deaths?_

They had helped him through his addiction and when they had needed his help, he hadn't been there for them ...


	4. Coming home

Redemption

Chapter Four

Kylen Celina had watched the interview with Colonel McQueen as well. Ever since she had come back from the POW camp, she had felt restless. Now that all colonisation programmes had been stopped on Earth, she did not know what to do with her life. When she had first seen Nathan on board the shuttle transporter, she had been relieved. The young woman had thought that Nathan would accompany her back to Earth where they would have married but he had opted to stay in the Corps instead and she felt rejected.

What was she about to do? The last few years she had given up her life for the Tellus-Programme and she was not properly educated for a civilian life. In this time of war no-one needed a technician who had been educated in the peaceful sciences of terra-forming. The young woman opened the back door of her father's house and stepped outside into the silent night. Deeply, she inhaled the soft summer breeze into her lungs and closed her eyes for a moment. Unconsciously, she petted the crumbled piece of paper Nathan had given her before the launch off of the Tellus rocket. During the desperate months as a prisoner of the Aliens, Nathan's letter had given her hope and now as she stood there in the glinting light of the stars above she recited the words she knew by heart.

Elsewhere stars are born ... Other systems, older, larger continue to breathe. The solar system dies of cribdeath ...

Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and she swung around. Squeezing her eyes, she could make out the figure of a man standing only a few yards away from her in the darkness and when the man stepped into the dim light coming from the porch, her heart began to race.

"Nathan ..." she whispered and before she knew if she was dreaming or not, she felt his arms around her.

"Nathan, Nathan ..." she murmured again and again, kissing his dear face.

"Kylen, my love," Nathan said and took her face into his palms, taking in every curve of her face.

For minutes they just stood there, whispering meaningless endearments to each other, but after their first urge to reassure themselves that this was real, Nathan led her to the porch where they sat down close beside each other.

"I needed to see you before I move on tomorrow morning," Nathan started and gently caressed Kylen's hands. "Cooper Hawkes and I want to visit McQueen ..."

"I saw the interview ..." Kylen replied, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. Nathan nodded and kissed her hands.

"We think that he knows something and we have only little time left before we return to the Saratoga...'

"Your mum thought you would leave the Corps, Nathan," she said, searching his eyes for the soft glimmer of love she had always been able to detect when she had been with Nathan in former times. It was still there but it was guarded carefully. Too much time had elapsed and both were unsure of each other.

"I can't leave now, the Corps needs all its officers ..." he fondled Kylen's hair and buried his face into the golden mass of her blonde curls.

"Do you want to accompany me to McQueen? We could spent time together..."

Kylen's heart began to race again and she blushed. The thought of being with Nathan, although only temporarily, was more than she had imagined.

"Yes," she whispered as she offered her lips to him.

Early the next morning, Nathan and Cooper said good bye to the Wests and after they had picked up Kylen, they took the bus to Harmsville where McQueen was staying.

As they reached the drive of the small farmhouse, they came across several Army vehicles. Two MP guards stood on either side of the entrance and when the three new-arrivals trotted up the steps they were halted by them.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But you can't enter!" One of the guards said.

"Sergeant, we've come to visit our commanding officer Colonel McQueen, we're the Wild Cards ..." Cooper said and pushed slightly forward.

The MPs barred the way and were determined to use force if the two Marines and the woman didn't step back. Suddenly, the door flew open and a high-ranking officer appeared. Before Nathan and Cooper could salute, the General ushered them inside.

"Miss," he said and nodded towards Kylen. "Nice to meet you, Lieutenants!" the tall man in his late forties greeted them cheerfully.

Cooper and Nathan exchanged a puzzled look with each other but both remained silent. The Major General led them into the living-room which was decorated with Japanese Katana-swords and paraphernalia. Colonel McQueen sat by the window and when they entered, he turned his head. Five weeks had passed since the Marines had seen him last and Nathan was surprised that the Colonel looked almost healthy again, not like the defeated man they had seen on board the Saratoga. But then again he had heard that In-Vitroes were genetically manipulated to heal quickly and seeing McQueen like this the rumour was confirmed.

"West, Hawkes," he greeted them and when he saw the woman beside them, he shot her a smile. "Miss Celina ..."

"So, you're the Cards ..." the General said and walked over to a sideboard and poured scotch into glasses.

"Ray, I guess you scared the hell out of 'em," McQueen replied and nodded towards the Marines. "What's wrong with you, are you so awed by Major General Chambers that you forgot your good manners?"

"Sir, no, Sir!" Both Marines snapped to attention and saluted correctly.

_CHAMBERS, that was Meg's father_, Cooper thought and blushed when the man handed him a glass.

The men and woman in the room fell silent for a moment when they heard a short commotion at the door and after some seconds of an argument, the door opened and Meg Chambers entered. Cooper's pulse quickened as he saw her and when their eyes locked he nodded towards her and she answered his greeting with an uncertain smile.

"Congratulations, Chambers," Nathan said and petted her shoulder after she had seated herself alongside his own chair. "Now we have to salute ya ...with the VC and everything"

"Thank you, West," Chambers replied then she shook her head. "You and saluting? You and Hawkes would rather kick my butt ..." The young Squadron Leader felt edgy and nervous.

To be in the same room together with Cooper Hawkes after so many months, she was not sure what to expect. Seven months ago they had met for the first time back on the 'Toga. He had helped her getting over the deaths of her old squadron mates and at that time she had flirted with the idea that perhaps he liked her as much as she liked him. But now sitting in the same room together, breathing the same air, she felt as if they were strangers. She glanced over at Cooper but he held his gaze steadily down onto the floor. He looked different, she thought. When she had first met him he had been like a grown-up child, his hair unruly falling into his eyes but now when she looked at him, she saw a cold Marine with his standard crew-cut and she wondered what had brought on this change.

After her father and McQueen had exchanged a glance, the Colonel cleared his throat.

"I'm glad that you have come immediately. I was not sure if you understood that I wanted to see you ..." McQueen said and picked up the glass and saluted them. "Welcome back!"

After they had exchanged more niceties, McQueen picked up a thick manila envelope. Chambers and McQueen exchanged a glance with each other and both men watched Kylen. It was always a risk to speak about a mission considered to be code red when a civilian was present and neither men were sure how to break the news to her that she should leave the room. Meg had witnessed the exchange and she bent over to Kylen.

"Do you like to see the house and share a cup of tea with me, Miss Celina?" she asked Kylen and the young woman nodded. When Meg looked back again at McQueen and her father, both men shot her a grateful smile. After the door had closed behind both women, Nathan and Cooper bent forward and West absentmindedly put the glass on of the nearest tables.

"Sir, may I speak candidly, Sir?" he inquired and McQueen nodded in confirmation. "Why weren't we court-martialled?"

Chambers and McQueen exchanged a look and it was Chambers who stood up and walked over to the window.

"A good question, Lieutenant West," the man said. "Two days before you were sent out to retrieve the POWs, the Department of Intelligence received a somewhat disturbing message. It said that some corporations have questionable relations to Silicates. A small group of high-ranking officers believe that AeroTech is trying to undermine the Armed Forces to be informed about every move the war is taking. It seems as if they want to prolong this war, that they even instigated it. Unfortunately, our informer was mysteriously killed and I believe that you'll be the next on the list because of your little stunt back on Anvil. Investigators found out that the bomb which exploded in the meeting room must have been carried by Wayne and as he was from AeroTech, they wanted to make sure that no peace talks would commence. I don't know what would have happened at a court-martial but I'm sure that AeroTech would have found a way to silence you one way or the other ..."

Cooper and Nathan exchanged a glance with each other and Nathan's look said: I should have known.

"Ross and I have pulled every possible string to get those charges dropped against you but it seems Fleet-Com still considers having your heads served on a platter. We don't know if the whole executive of AeroTech is involved in this but we have confirmed information that they have already infiltrated some top-brass of the Army throughout the United Forces," Chambers inhaled deeply.

"I don't have to tell you that all we talk about here in this room is strictly confidential. So consider this compartmentalised!" he said after that McQueen opened the manila folder he had given him.

"As you can see, we cannot trust anyone. Chambers' team found out that Fleet-Com has received coded messages from the Chigs telling that they have allegedly taken prisoners on Anvil and yet only two SAR teams were sent out and soon after called back again."

Nathan and Cooper exchanged a glance with each other and Cooper bent forward.

"Sir, do you want to tell us that they deliberately aborted a mission to retrieve the missing Marines? That they could have found Captain Vansen and Lieutenant Damphousse by now, Sir?" He queried in a tight voice.

"We are not sure ..." Chambers replied. "According to what our Recon-services were able to pick up before aborting their mission, there is a crash-site on Anvil but we are not sure whether it is one of ours or a vehicle from the Chigs ..."

"Fleet-Com doesn't believe that Vansen and Damphousse are still alive but Ross has received confirmed information that the Chigs indeed have captured five of our officers. The problem is that we had several skirmishes during the past weeks and we have lost five attack jets in the Anvil area ..." McQueen stated.

"So, the reported POWs could be these pilots, Sir?" Nathan inquired, bending forward. "And Fleet-Com didn't do anything to retrieve them ..."

"Yes, Lt. West, that is the case. But what I can't understand is that we have received messages BEFORE we lost the Hammerheads ..." General Chambers replied. "So their reluctance to send SAR teams could be that they don't want us to find out that Vansen and Damphousse might be alive. Officially, Fleet-Command said they're not willing to sent any SAR teams into the area for the planet is still hot. But I pulled a few strings and from what I learned I discovered that at least two high-ranking Generals have connections to AeroTech ..." he looked at both Marines expectantly. "What exactly did you do on Anvil when you encountered the Alien?"

After both Marines had given their statements about the time when they happened to encounter the 'friendly' Chig, the men in the room were silent. Nathan was surprised that Cooper had given them every detail of the encounter, even stating the almost exact conversations of that moment. It was always spooky, when Cooper did something like this.

McQueen rubbed his eyes wearily and stood up. After sitting down so long, his leg was stiff and he paced the floor in long determined strides.

"Do you still have the 'mud', Cooper?" he asked suddenly and swung around, facing the Marine in question.

Cooper shrugged his shoulders.

"It was just muck, Sir. The Alien gave it to me in exchange of one of my comics and when we retreated I, uh, just let it drop ...Sir"

Chambers shook his head at that and grinned.

"There goes our possible clue, Ty," he commented and shot his friend a crooked smile.

"It was just a thought, Ray ..." McQueen said. "What I can't understand is why AeroTech thinks it is so important?! It doesn't make sense."

"Nothing AeroTech ever did made any sense, Ty."

"So, what do we do now, Sirs?" Nathan inquired. Chambers let out a sigh and poured himself another scotch.

"You all will return to the 'Toga in a week's time. Boss Ross knows you're coming, so there will be no suspicion. Once aboard the 'Toga, you will take two Hammerheads and an ISSCV to 2063-Yankee. In the northern hemisphere of the planet SAR has located a bunker and they picked up short signals of various PLBs. But due to the high rate of atmospheric interference they couldn't make a clear ID. But Squadron Leader Chambers has brought a new non-AeroTech designed SRR and she will accompany you on this mission," the General said. Cooper shot Chambers a glance and let out an expletive beneath his breath.

"My feelings, exactly, Lieutenant Hawkes," Chambers said. "My daughter is not a Marine but she's the only one we can trust right now."

McQueen watched Cooper's and Nathan's reaction to this, especially Hawkes did not look happy about his new crew-mate and he presumed to know why.

"We need at least four Marines for this Op and Chambers is our only possible choice," he said and turned towards the General. "After all the trouble you've gone through to get her those nine weeks R&R."

Chambers shrugged his shoulders and tried to look innocent.

"In fact it was her mother who pulled the strings to get her on leave, Ty. All I did was to persuade her CO to ship her back to Earth immediately ..." Chambers replied.

Cooper shook his head slightly at this. He didn't want Meg on this mission. It was dangerous and he didn't want her to die. When he looked up at Nathan he could see that West's thoughts were on a similar level as his own.

"This mission is non-existent and therefore we will not have any back-up ..." McQueen's stern voice was heard and Nathan and Cooper drew their attention back to the Colonel.

So now Nathan knew the reason why they hadn't been cartered off to court-martial immediately but he felt not relieved. All along he had suspected that AeroTech did not play fair but that they had this kind of influence ...? Nathan shook his head. This particular mission could mean that he would not return safely, but the prospect of finding either Shane and Vanessa or the four Marines was worth the risk.

After their short tour of the house, Meg led Kylen into the kitchen.

"You are going on a secret mission, aren't you?" Kylen Celina asked suddenly and Meg eyed her in surprise. Kylen laughed shyly and shrugged her shoulders. "With so much brass gathered in one room, it's the only possible explanation ..."

"Do you think that Nathan shouldn't take part?" Meg inquired and Kylen shook her head. "Are you afraid for him?"

"It's not that... Watching Nathan like this makes me feel as if I don't know him any more," Kylen answered wearily. "He acted so differently. Suddenly, he wasn't my Nate but one of them. He's a stranger ..." Meg sat down beside her and touched her gently on the shoulder.

"West is a Marine and with McQueen and my father present he thinks and acts like one. But his other, more gentle side is still there. When I was about seven years old my father held a briefing at our house. I had the same feeling back then, suddenly there were all these hardened soldiers conversing in our living-room and my father was one of them, it scared me," Meg laughed in an embarrassed way. "I hid in my room the following days and didn't want to see my father. I was afraid and I wished that I could have my daddy back again ..."

"Do you still feel that way?" Kylen asked in a shivering voice.

"In a way, yes," Meg replied. "But for the past seven years I have been a soldier myself and now I understand why my father had scared me so much when I was still a child ..."

"I don't think I can cope with this as well as you do ..." Nathan's girl-friend replied and took a sip of tea. "It is so difficult. Nathan is so withdrawn and he never had this streak of ... of cruelty ..."

Megan sighed and rubbed her eyes wearily.

"It's not cruelty," Chambers said slowly. "Those who have lost a squadron are driven by an unknown force to make up to their dead crew-mates ..." The young Squadron Leader closed her eyes for a split second. She had experienced the same when her old squad had been erased.

"Eventually you will understand, Kylen. You know when I was part of the five-eight, Nathan's every waking moment was filled with thoughts of you. He loves you but he has seen too much brutality and for almost a year he had doubts of ever seeing you again," Meg's voice trailed away when she noticed a movement at the door. She stood up when Nathan entered the kitchen.

"Just him," she whispered and left.

Nathan slowly came over to the table and sat down beside Kylen.

"The briefing is finished ..." he commented and massaged Kylen's neck gently. The young woman smiled sadly and cuddled closer to his side.

"When do you have to leave?" she asked in a low voice, afraid to be parted with him again.

"In a week's time, McQueen has to go to a med's examination tomorrow but I guess he'll be declared fit to do what ever he intends ..." Nathan replied and took her into a tight embrace.


	5. Anvil

Redemption

Chapter Five

Anvil

Patterson groaned and clutched his stomach as he slumped against the wall. Opposite from him he could see another person in the cell.

"How are ya doin', Capt'n?" First Lieutenant Carlson asked and crawled over to his side.

"Holding up, I guess, Angie," Patterson replied and winced when he saw Carlson's face.

Those bastards, he thought as he raised his hand to trace the open wounds on Carlson's once perfect skin.

"They have left some painkillers here, Geoff," Angie whispered and shoved two pills to his lips. The screams of another POW ended abruptly as she tended to his wounds.

The silence was even more worse than the actual screams, she thought.

"They'll be coming for one of us soon," Patterson said and petted her hand awkwardly. Suddenly, her body went rigid and she started screaming.

"GOD, make them stop! I can't bear that anymore!" she yelled and in her raging pain she threw herself against the metal walls of their cell.

"NO! ANGIE, STOP IT!" Patterson made a grab for her and tried to restrain her from hurting or killing herself. They were both hurt and tired and Patterson was glad that her ranting ended as quickly as it had started. Rocking her to and fro on his lap, he held her limp body in his arms. "It's alright, Angie," he whispered, closing his eyes to her tears and the screams of the other POW.

Elroy shook his head as he watched the young man who had passed out for the third time during this interrogation.

It was no good. Life didn't hold any more pleasures for him today, he smirked at that and looked up. A Chig had come in and after he took a long look at the prisoner, it gave off a series of click-clicking sounds.

"I know that he has passed out, you spoogehead!" Elroy retorted angrily, but caught himself immediately.

Those Chigs really got on his processors. They wanted the information, they would get it! It wasn't their concern how they got it! he thought and gestured towards another silicate who waited patiently by the door.

"Wake that carbon-shit again!" he ordered but the Chig waved the silicate away. With swift, efficient gestures, the four-fingered hands of the Alien released the arms and legs of the POW from the stretcher and threw the lifeless body of the young officer over his shoulder. The POWs wouldn't stand the torture any longer and as soon as he could contact one of his superior officers, he would ask to give them a rest.

"Suit yourself, spoogehead!" Elroy yelled after him.

_Darkness again. But this time I can make out some light coming from the door._

The silicate told me that I should hate humans but deep down I know that he is wrong. I remember ... the last time he tortured me I remembered faces ... faces of people I love ... my lovers? ... No, that doesn't feel right ... Nathan ... and Cooper. Yeah, something like brothers. I wish I could remember ... Perhaps I'm regaining my memory ... Keep thinking! A face ... a face of a woman ... beautiful ... why do I think of her as an eagle drifting in a sky of brilliant blue? Blue eyes ... the 'thousand yard stare' of the ... Colonel?

GODDAMMIT, REMEMBER!

The AIs are coming for me again, I can hear them. I hate them ... they have ... killed ... killed someone ... God, I wish I was back at the Cards' quarters ... The Cards? Why did this ring a bell in my mind? Cards, a deck of cards ...

What can you do with cards? Play poker ... Ace ... King ... Queen ... Jack ... Joker ... I know it's important! Think ... think!!!

The Chig on guard watched as the young Marine groaned when he came to his senses again. Although he hated the red-stinkers for invading the sacred ground of his people, he felt something like pity for the young human lying in the darkness of his cell. He had remembered the day almost four weeks ago when they had retrieved this particular human from a small safety pod. He had been surprised that the human had been still alive and he had to admit to himself that those seemingly weak humans were made from a stronger stuff than they had thought or the silicates had told them.

The Chig knew that he had overstepped his rights when he had thwarted Elroy's obvious pleasure at torturing the human but something had been familiar about this man. For all he knew this Marine could have been the one who had told his brother about the impending counter-attack of the humans. Why had he told him? he asked himself again and shook his head. Perhaps the AIs had not been as faithful to them as they had let on.

He had to find out, he thought and there was just one way to do so. Perhaps the ways of the AIs was wrong. Keeping the POWs separated wasn't a good idea after all. Perhaps they were more willing to co-oporate if they were put together in one cell.

The Marine woke up with a start when she heard the door to her cell open and close. First, she thought that the silicates had come to torture her again. She had to get out of here otherwise she would go mad. The physical torture she could always bear but the silicates had tortured her mind over and over again, creating images of things which had happened a long time ago. When she did not hear the unmistakable sound of the AIs, she slowly edged her eyes open to slits and when she saw the other woman crouched over at the door, she held her breath and relaxed.

"'Phousse ..." she whispered and the head of the woman snapped up.

Focusing on the Marine lying in front of her, the woman only stared at her for long, unnerving moments. 

"Shane?" her voice was barely audible. The woman crawled over, and, taking the Marine into her arms, she started weeping.

"Shane ... oh, Shane, you're alive," the words came out in a sob.


	6. Love Hurts

Redemption

Chapter Six

Earth - Harmsville/Maine

In the evening when the military vehicles had left, silence once more came over the house. Cooper had retreated to the backporch overlooking the overgrown garden.

After Nathan had told him that he would return to his parents with Kylen, he had felt a momentary pang of jealousy but he knew that this had been a childish notion. But given the circumstances Cooper was afraid that Kylen would persuade Nathan to leave the Corps and where would that leave him?

As he looked up into the sky from where he was standing, he heard the screech of the backdoor behind him. Without even looking he knew that Meg had come to him and when she leant against the banister beside him he turned to look at her profile which was illuminated by the dim light of the stars above.

She looked tired as she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Cooper was amazed that despite his doubts and uncertainty, he still reacted so strongly towards this woman. It made him both angry and sad. He knew he wouldn't be able to give her the things she needed and that left him frustrated.

Megan felt nervous and she chided herself for following Cooper out into the garden. The reason why she had joined Cooper outside in the first place, had been simply to be with him. To hear his voice again, feel his presence.

"Congrats to your Victoria Cross, Squadron Leader," Hawkes said, shifting his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"Thanks, Lieutenant ..." Chambers answered and watched him closely. He looked worn out. Like a man driven too hard to the brink of collapse.

"What do you think, Coop? Will we be able to rescue the Marines?" she asked softly, suppressing the urge to reach out her hand to caress him. Cooper shrugged his shoulders and rested his elbows on the banister.

"If I didn't believe in this mission, I wouldn't take part... I ... dunno, uh ... I mean somewhere deep inside of me I believe that Shane and Vanessa are still alive and yet ..." He fell silent and watched the sky above them.

He had always found it difficult to voice his feelings and thoughts aloud. Normally, it did not frustrate him because he was used to his lack of words but this time he desperately wanted to explain his feelings.

"When I first heard about it I couldn't believe it myself," Meg said. "Only a few months ago you all saved my life and the thought of Shane, Paul and Vanessa being dead makes me so angry. I keep thinking that if I had been with them, perhaps I might have helped preventing it somehow ..."

"No-one could've prevented it from happening, Megan!" Cooper said, his voice sounding sharp. "Don't ya think that I've asked that myself again and again? I felt so helpless back there in the ISSCV, listening to Shane's voice ... and I knew I couldn'a do anything but stay with the POWs ..." Cooper's voice trailed away as the pain swept over him.

Jeeez, he couldn't stand it anymore. When was the pain ever to stop?

Without a second thought Meg put her arms around his shoulders and held him while he wept. At first, he struggled against her embrace but after a few moments he clung to her, all his pain and anger dissolving with the shedding of tears.

Meg closed her eyes and comforted him gently. Over the years she had done the same thing again and again to her father. She knew that In-Vitroes never learned to cope with their feelings but having an In-Vitro father she was used to their helplessness on the emotional side of things.

But when she thought about this, she had to admit that her actions weren't as unselfish as she wanted herself to believe. She wanted to be close to him, she wanted him to need her and as she held him in her arms, she caught herself stroking and caressing him in more than the universal gesture of comfort. After a while Cooper's sobs died down and he became aware of their intimate embrace.

"Sorry ..." he whispered and stepped away from her. Meg let go of him, putting her arms around herself as if she was cold. A stab of rejection shot through her and this made her angry and hurt.

"I hope you feel better, Lieutenant," she said coldly and turned away from him.

_Fool_, she told herself. _Grow up, Meg_.

Cooper knew that he had hurt her but he had no idea how he should act around her. What he wanted to do and what he ought to do considering the situation his MIA-mates were in, fighting for their lives on this damn' planet, were two quite different things. He wanted to be close to Meg, hold her and even kiss her but then again he knew that natural borns behaved differently and he did not want to look like some unfeeling bastard who wanted a tumble with her.

"Meg?" he asked shyly and touched her shoulder. Without a word she turned towards him and stepped into his arms. Meg shivered when she felt his arms around her.

"Please, Coop," she pleaded. "Don't push me away! I feel just as bad as you about Shane and the others!" She kissed his cheek. "Don't shut me out!"

Cooper closed his eyes for a moment. It felt so good to hold her in his arms again, to feel her body pressed close to his. But it wasn't right! How could he let her trust him when he distrusted himself? He pried her arms off his neck and stepped further away from her. He had wanted her since he had seen her all those months back on the 'Toga, and even now his body yearned for her touch and yet he was afraid.

"I got hooked on phyllophthetamines a couple of months back ..." he blurted out and gave off a short embittered laugh. "Cooper Hawkes, the stupid tank, thinking he is superman. Nathan and the others risked their asses for me when I freaked out on Op and now, I can't even repay them. All I could do was just watch ..."

Megan heard the pain in his voice and she stepped closer to him and encircling her arms around his shoulders, she put her cheek against his back.

"Oh, Coop," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I'd let you down?" Cooper moved uneasily but he put his hands onto her arms and squeezed them slightly.

"Don't ya understand? I thought you'd think me stupid and ... and despise me!"

"Despise you? Lord, Coop, my father was addicted to the meanies and tankbrats are prone to this addiction as well. I would have understood what you've been going through," she shook her head and smiled sadly. "I love you," she heard herself whisper.

As if hit by a whiplash, Hawkes turned around to face Chambers. Grey-blue eyes stared down on her and for a moment she thought she could see something likewise in his eyes but his eyes were immediately guarded again.

"No, you don't ..." Cooper said hoarsely, a definite edge to his voice.

"I LOVE you!" she said again, more confident now.

"Don't!" Hawkes growled and went to the far end of the porch. "I'm a tank, understood? I don't know anything about the love-stuff ..."

Meg shook her head angrily and something snapped in her mind. She couldn't stand it anymore! All those years when she had desperately begged her father to love her, to trust her, came back in a rush. She walked over to Hawkes in long, determined strides, coming to a halt immediately in front of him. At any other time, with any other man half the size of Cooper, her stand could have been threatening but not now. Meg tilted her head backwards to see directly into his eyes.

"Don't give me that shit about being a lifer and lifetaker! I've heard enough of that already! And I know you better than you think!" she hissed angrily.

"No, you don't, Chambers. You think you know me because your father's a tank!"

"I'm pissed off by you tanks. Sometimes I get the feeling that you use your upbringing as an excuse. You just don't bother, do you?" she exclaimed and when he did not answer her right away, the anger got the better part of her and she punched her fist into his stomach. Cooper did not even flinch when she hit him.

_Man, he wanted her so much, even now as she was brushing him down_, Cooper thought but he tried to shut out the feelings she awoke in him. He wanted to believe her, wanted to believe that he was able to love and be loved but he couldn't.

Megan was so absorbed in her rage and her hurt that she didn't even notice that he didn't ward off her blows as she kept hitting him.

"You really piss me off, Cooper. Why can't you accept that you are human like everyone else, for Chrissake? If you want to drown in your self-pity, then do it but DON'T YOU DARE PUT THE BLAME ON ME! YES, you ARE a stupid tank! I thought you liked me, trusted me ..." She broke off. She knew she was getting meaner the minute and she had to stop before she would say anything more hurting, but she wasn't able to and she didn't want to. She wanted him to pay for all those doubts she had been through when he had stopped answering her letters. She wanted to wound him, wanted to inflict the most damage possible on him for dismissing her pledge of love so easily. Megan raised her knee and slammed it adroitly into his groin. Cooper toppled over, clutching his abdomen. She had taken him unawares and when he looked up at her, the pain slowly subsiding, his eyes showed deadly bloodthirst.

"DON'T you ever do this again," he rasped angrily and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Or I give you a bashing you'll never forget!" 

Megan stared down at him, then snorted.

"You and who else, tank? One thing I learned for sure from your kind, never ever try to mess with NBs!" Without so much as a warning she kicked him into his ribs. Cooper growled in fury and swiped her off her feet. Before she could recover her breath which had been knocked out of her, he was on top of her. In blind anger she hit his face, trying to get hold of his head but Cooper backhanded her across the face and caught her wrists with one hand, subduing her.

"I hate you, Cooper Hawkes. I hate you!" she yelled at him, desperately trying to push him off her.

"Not as much as I do, Chambers," Cooper hissed and tried to restrain his anger which hazarded to engulf him any second. He tried to concentrate on other things, tried to shut out the reactions his body dictated against her blows. If he would give in to his anger, he would probably kill her. Forcing his mind to control his rage, he suddenly became aware of her body beneath him. He cursed as other emotions flooded his mind and body.

"What's going on here?" a harsh voice inquired angrily and both stopped still for a moment.

Suddenly Megan was released and when she looked up she could see that Cooper was sitting against the banister, his knees drawn to his chest. Drawing herself into a sitting position, she fingered her face delicately. She was sure she would sport a black eye in the morning.

"You two sure made a spectacle out of yourself," McQueen said and stepped out from the deep shadows of the door onto the porch and watched both sternly.

McQueen had been aware of the strong currents of emotion between Megan and Hawkes. But he had not thought that it was that serious. Suffering through the loss of friends was always hard, he had learned this particular lesson the hard way himself back in the AI POW-camp. He should have known that Hawkes would turn towards the one person in his life he had trusted beside Shane and the others, a person who loved him. And indeed he had but different to what he had expected. With their training those two could have easily killed each other if he had not stepped between them. McQueen closed his eyes for a moment and tried to clear his mind.

"What got into you?" he asked in a deadly hiss. "Isn't it enough that the Chigs kill us off one by one, do you have to help them finish the job?"

"No," Cooper muttered and McQueen's head snapped up.

"What was that, Lieutenant?" he asked sharply.

"Sir, no, Sir!" Cooper scrambled to his feet and flinched. Drawing in his breath he touched his right side. Megan had pushed herself to her feet as well and as she stood beside Cooper, she felt embarrassed that her uncle had witnessed her shameful behaviour.

"So tell me, what should I do with you? We have an important mission to execute and all you can do is try to bash each other's heads! I don't know what took you off like that but you better work it out of your systems quickly," he shot both of them a cold stare and Cooper and Megan had the grace to look embarrassed.

"We've a lot to do during this week and I want you to be fit and wide awake ..."

"Sir! Yes, Sir," both muttered and they were halfway to the door when the cold voice of McQueen held them back.

"I don't care what you do on your R&R but we are on Op soon and I won't stand any petty fights between two of my officers just because they've got the hots for each other. Understood?"

"Sir, yes, Sir" Coop replied, deeply shocked and Megan lowered her lids with a deep flush of her skin.

McQueen watched Hawkes and Chambers as they hurried to their rooms. Then he leant against the banister and stared into the sky.

What should he do now? the Colonel asked himself. He should reprimand them according to Military Law. They were both officers and this wasn't exactly a friendly bashing at a barfight. It wasn't even his business to care about those two whether they killed each other or not, he tried to convince himself but he couldn't. He felt trapped. Chambers and Hawkes were the closest he ever got to a family and kids. When he first had seen Hawkes he had been appalled to see the haggard look in the young man's eyes, just as if he had given himself up. For a short moment he had even suspected that the young IV was on the meanies again but seeing him now ... The anger and the pain had been still there but it seemed as if Cooper had found a means to channel those emotions by taking it out on Chambers. He shook his head. Of all things he had expected it wasn't both of them fighting! What had gotten into those two idiots? The reason why he had wanted Megan on this mission was because he had thought that Hawkes needed her remain his cool on this Op, that she would help him coming over the deaths of his crewmates if they found them KIA. She had been through all this herself and Coop had been the one who had helped her half a year ago. He had been wrong. Now then ever he knew that it had been a mistake to involve her in this mission but the dice had been rolled ... 

McQueen sighed wearily and pulled a small, crumbled book from his flightsuit-pocket. He started reading in the decreasing light, but the words of the Japanese poet did not help to soothe his troubled thoughts. 

After McQueen had been to the doctor's, Meg, Cooper and McQueen spent the day preparing for their impending mission. After Meg had been already outfitted with standard-issue US Marine Corps gear by her father, the only thing which was left to do for the young Squadron Leader was to pack her army duffel. When she picked up her flight helmet, she lovingly brushed over the old emblem on the front. The emblem showed five BC-48's, the standard attack jets of the RAF Corps, in a perfect diamond formation. But these days were over for now. She got some turpentine, a rug and paints from the garage and started scratching the painting off her helmet.

While she was working on her helmet, Colonel McQueen walked into her room and when he noticed what she was doing, he nodded his head in appraisal.

"Did you chose a code name?" he asked and sat down beside her, inspecting her work.

"There are not many names left, are there?" Meg replied and picked up a paintbrush and dipped it into a pot of black paint.

"I decided to use a name which was not used by Shane and the others ..." Carefully, she drew a poker-card onto the helmet. "I'll use Ace of Spades as my code-name in the 58th squadron ..."

McQueen nodded and lowered his lids. Meg had chosen a name which had never been used by any of the Wild Cards, dead or alive.

"A good choice, Meg," he said and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud that you'll honour the missing Marines ..."

"Would you have thought otherwise, Uncle Mac?" Meg asked and applied another coat of paint onto the helmet. "By now you should know me better..."

"Yes, Meg. And because I know you quite well I want to give you a bit of advice. If the Op fails because you and Hawkes screw it, I see to it myself that the two of you are court-martialled!"

Meg's face turned deep crimson when she turned towards her uncle.

"What do you mean?" she asked hoarsely.

"Don't play dumb, Meg. You know what I'm talking about," he said calmly and pointed towards her black eye. "I know that you and Hawkes have come a long way but to see you fighting like this ..." McQueen shook his head.

"What is wrong with the two of you? You both know how important this mission is, during this Op it is crucial that nothing goes wrong. If you and Hawkes can't put a lid on whatever is bothering you, you put the lives of the squad and the POWs at stake!"

_Of course, Meg knew he was right. She had not thought about the danger their actions would inflict upon this Op. In fact, last night she had even forgotten the reason why she and Hawkes were here. All that had mattered was bashing the shit out of him for being so stupid_.

"I'm sorry, it was a daft thing to do, but he made me so mad," she replied. "I just didn't think when he ... " she broke off and blushed deeply. She had never found it difficult to talk to McQueen but this time it was a somewhat delicate topic and she wasn't sure how he would react. "Let's say Cooper made damn sure that I behaved like a complete idiot," she said and shrugged her shoulders.

"He told me that he doesn't need my affections. I'm just a tankbrat, remember, what do I know about what a tank needs anyway?!" But McQueen shook his head.

"Hawkes needs you, Meg. Don't you ever think that he doesn't need you. Over the last few months he had to put up with a lot of things which put a major guilt trip on him and loosing his mates hasn't made it any easier for him," When he saw her tensing he gently caressed her hand. " All I'm asking you is that you should try to understand him, ok.? He's shocked and doesn't know what he should do. It was just a tank's bad timing ..."

After a while Megan nodded slowly, though she looked more like a sulking child than a seasoned pilot right now.

"Alright, that's settled then," McQueen said after a moment of consideration. "I've decided that you will be in one of the Hammerheads backing the transporter ..."

"You mean, I won't fly with you?" Meg asked in a tense voice, still put off by the Colonel's former words. "I thought we would team up for once?"

"We are a team, Meg!" McQueen replied, almost yelling at her. "But you and Hawkes are the best shots in the five-eight now. West is good but he is a better pilot and with that leg still bothering me I need a good pilot at my side," the Colonel explained calmly and Meg's anger died down.

She knew that her godfather was taking a great risk to join this mission with his health still on the brink. And her brawl with Hawkes had made this mission not any easier for him. On the contrary, she knew that open animosity between fellow-officers could lead to havoc. She was determined to make this Op a success because she knew that the US Marine Corps was McQueen's true family and that he would do anything to rescue the missing Marines even if that meant to reprimand his niece.

"I think you're right," Meg said slowly and inspected her paint-job. She considered it a poor image of the real Wild Cards emblem but for the impending mission it had to suffice. On the front of her helmet she had drawn the Queen of Spades with two Aces on either side of it.

"You should've gone to Art's School," McQueen said, referring to her father's proposition when she had still been a teenager. Meg grimaced and cleaned her paint-stained hands on the rug.

"You cannot defend your country with a paint-brush, Uncle Mac," she said. "Not with aliens from outer of space attacking us anyway."

The Colonel nodded and stood up. Ever since she had joined the Royal Air Force, he had thought that she was not tough enough to last even the first year. But he was glad that his dark prophesies had not been met. After seven years in the RAF and five years as a serving commanding officer, his godchild had shown that she was the true daughter of her father and a goddamn good soldier and fighter-pilot.


	7. Torture

Redemption

Chapter Seven

The Alien went into the cell unarmed as he brought some food and water. After he had made sure that the Marine was still breathing, he left the cell. Shortly, before he sent the door shut behind himself he took another long look.

The Chig made sure that the door was securely locked before he returned to the guardroom. On his way there he happened to look into one of the other cells. The two Marines they had captured last were huddled together in the far corner of their cell, whispering with each other. The Chig was surprised and somewhat fascinated by the sight of it.

How come that humans, seemingly not related by family could become that close to each other, he thought and shook his helmeted head. They were different, those humans. He couldn't understand that they liked to touch and caress each other despite their unbearable smell.

_I can remember ... parts of it anyway. But I still don't know who I am?! My head hurts and from what I have been able to detect I have several broken ribs and obviously, I also got hit on my head but despite that I can consider myself lucky that I'm still alive._

The silicate had been here again, talking about this shit that I don't owe the Marine Corps nothin'. Hah, I owe them a lot, I hope so anyway. But I guess I'm right and this AI is wrong. I had dreams again last night. About Nathan and Cooper ... AH, I wish I could remember more ...

I hear them coming again ...The door opens and some food is shoved into the room.

The Chigs never gave me something to eat while I was awake and this change in routine makes me nervous. Suddenly, I hear the unmistakable CPU sound of silicates and I know that they are coming for me. For the first time in weeks I'm clearheaded but I still don't know what they want from me. They take me to the interrogation room again and I'm careful to notice everything on the way there.

Elroy puts me on the table again and I feel the pain shooting through my leg all the way up to my brain as he snaps the metal clasp around my ankle.

NOOO! The pain, it's killing me ... Someone has to make them stop!! Why are they doing that to me? Please, God, make it stop!!!!

"Jeez," Vanessa whispered and closed her eyes for a short moment. Pain shot through her left arm and she clenched her teeth.

Shane was examining the burn marks on her arm, carefully cleaning them with the small supply of water a Chig had given them.

"It's almost over, 'Phousse," Shane said and sat back. Wearily, the young CO rubbed her eyes and stretched her muscles awkwardly.

"What do you think, Vanessa? Why did they put us into one cell? Are they playing their little game again?" Shane inquired.

Vanessa moved uncomfortably and creased her nose.

"I don't know. It's weird they didn't say a word when they shoved me in here," Vanessa replied. "Did they ... ask you about our encounter with the Chig in the cave?"

Shane nodded.

"Yeah, Elroy asked me again and again what this Chiggy told us, whatever that means ..."

"I've thought about this, Shane. When Coop gave the Chig his comic, it put something into his hand, do you remember? And gave off a series of small, almost pleading sounds ..."

"But it was just mud, 'Phousse. If there had been something special about it Coop would have noticed ..."

"You're right," Vanessa said and put her head against the wall behind her. They were silent for long moments, both women deeply engrossed with their own thoughts.

"Shane?"

"Mmh ..." Vansen mumbled and looked up.

"Do you think they're looking for us?"

"Of course, Nathan saw where we went down, I just hope they got to the 'Toga in one piece ..." Shane said slowly. Had Nathan and the others made it back to the 'Toga safely? She didn't know. Ever since the Chigs had taken her and 'Phousse prisoner she had asked herself that again and again. She didn't even know what day it was but she estimated that almost four to five weeks had passed since their fateful mission 'Homeward Bound'. Given that time, the SAR teams must have found the disabled cockpit by now but why didn't they sent a rescue team?

"You know, what strikes me as unusual is that the Chiggies have given us some water and food. The last time we weren't given anything, they just watched us like guinea pigs ..." Vanessa broke off as they heard footsteps coming from the corridor.

The hatch to the cell was opened and Felicity stepped in.

"Vansen, it's your turn!" she said and dragged Shane out of the cell. 


	8. Mission entails

Redemption

Chapter Eight

The Marines were not alone on their flight back to the USS Saratoga, thwarting the chance for conversing on the impending mission but they were not in the mood to make conversation anyway.

During the last week the Marines had prepared the mission meticulously, visiting family and friends. Nathan had wanted to ask Kylen to marry him but after he had thought about the impending mission he had simply said good-bye to her. Too many things had happened and he was still not sure if he had done the right thing when he had rescued Kylen only to let the others die ... When he had joined McQueen and the others again, he had been aware of the tension between Chambers and Hawkes. He had tried to ask his friend about it, especially after he had detected the fading black eye on Meg' s face and Cooper nursing his ribs but all he had gotten out of Coop had piqued his curiosity rather than laying it at rest and even asking Chambers hadn't helped much. She had been as tongue-tied as Coop. Wonderful, Nathan had thought after that. It was always a pleasure to go on an Op when your mates tried to kill each other rather than the enemy.

After McQueen's warning, Cooper had been determined to keep his distance from Meg. He knew he should concentrate on the impending Op but in order to do that he needed to make up to her. Each night he had walked up to Megan's room, determined to work it out with her but he just couldn't find the courage. He didn't know which words to use. Her anger had bothered him to no end because she had hit a soft spot. She hadn't told him anything he had not told himself over and over again and yet all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and kiss the hell out of her.

As they arrived onboard the USS Saratoga, the newly-established five-eight retreated to their quarters to await their orders from McQueen and Ross. Nathan and Meg had just inspected their lockers when McQueen limped in. The determined look on his face, telling them far more than any words.

"Listen up!" he announced and gave every one of them a curt nod. "The window to 2063-Yankee will only be open for forty-five mikes tomorrow, Cdr. Ross will sent out the four-six for cover and bait, but as soon as we are in the vicinity of the planet, we are on our own!" he said matter-of-factly.

The Wild Cards looked at each other, then directed their gazes in unison to the Colonel again.

"Hawkes and Chambers, your callnames will be Spades and your Hammerheads will be covering the ISSCV. In case of an attack you have to shoot down as many Chigs as possible because we don't have a regular bord-sniper." He directed his gaze towards Nathan.

"West and I are the Aces, as soon as we have landed on the planet, about three klicks away from the alleged POW camp, you and I will advance from the Southwest, whereas Chambers and Hawkes land in the north and advance from there."

The young Marines nodded. They had gone through the attack plans more than once and they knew them by heart now.

"Any questions?" McQueen inquired not expecting any questions.

"Sir, no, Sir!" The Spades answered.

After McQueen had left, the Marines prepared their gear in silence. Everyone haunted by their own thoughts about the impending mission.

Hawkes switched the digital readouts on again, checking his HUD and LIDAR. For several moments he stared at the readouts, then he realised that he had done so over and over again for the passed ten mikes. With a sigh he punched the buttons off again and turned his head over to Chambers' jet. Meg's hood had not been slid down yet and she was arguing with one of the techies.

When the canopy slid finally into place and they were given their thumb's up, Cooper switched the digitals on again, this time for good.

Never before an impending mission he had felt so nervous. It was as if he was slowly going mad, confined to the small space of the cockpit. He felt the deep fear of confined spaces rising in him again and he took a deep breath, reminding him that his head was inside a rebreather flighthelmet.

"Ready?" Meg inquired over the com and Cooper closed his eyes for a moment.

"Ready, Ace'o'Spades!" he answered.

Slowly, the cockpits were lowered into the pits, awaiting their connection to the Hammerheads. As soon as they were connected, both pilots hit the propulsions and they were shot out of the hull of the Saratoga. In a low dive they headed away from the space-craft carrier, decreasing the distance between them and planet Anvil.

"Boss Ross, here Spades. Are on our way to 2063-Y ..." Cooper stated over the com.

"Affirmative, Spades," Ross acknowledged. "Good luck!"

Cooper switched to his own channel, contacting Chambers.

"Arriving at the rendezvous co-ordinates in three-hundred MSKs, Ace'o'Spades!" Cooper said and checked his HUD. "HUD and LIDAR all clear, so far. Friendlies on three, four, seven, eight and ten!"

"Copy, Jack of Spades!" Meg answered, slowing her propulsion to go alongside Cooper's jet. "We should remain CS for the time being. As far as we know the Chigs can turn up any minute."

They had travelled for half an hour, avoiding all skipchatter when another voice was heard over the intercom.

"Spades, here Queen Six," McQueen acknowledged over the com. "Enter Anvil's atmosphere in thirty mikes!"

"Affirmative, Queen Six!" Chambers replied. She turned her head to see the ISSCV on her ten.

McQueen switched off the com-channel to keep CS. He was still not sure if Hawkes and Meg were able to work out their mixed feelings for each other but at the moment he had other things to consider. He slowly turned his head and watched West at his side. The young Lieutenant was concentrating on the displays ahead of him but when he noticed his CO's glance he turned his head slightly.

"I don't like it, Sir. We should have at least encountered a Chig patrol by now..." he said.

"Perhaps they're taking a nap," McQueen replied sarcastically.

Both men laughed at that, but it wasn't a cheerful sound. Their chatter was interrupted by Chambers' voice when she announced:

"Aces, bandits on four, seven and ten! We are going in!"

The Colonel switched on the VR-displays for the bord-sniper and adjusted the VRGs. Squinting his eyes to the virtual reality horizon of the goggles, he looked for a prey to lock on.

The Chig patrol consisted of five fighter jets, immediately engaging on the two Hammerheads and the ISSCV. Hawkes put the propulsion to maximum thrust and criss-crossed between two Chig jets. He banked hard to the left, almost colliding with a third jet who had been tracking him. The LIDAR told him that the remaining two jets had been engaged by Chambers but at the moment he directed his gaze directly to his weapon systems' readout.

He immediately engaged his lasers onto one Chiggy fighter. He strafed the jets' thrusters, hitting the hind fuel tanks with a perfect shot. The jet exploded in in-numerous pieces of scorched metal.

The patrol leader veered around, turning head-on to Cooper and he had a hard time riding in a steep rise to avoid a head-on collision.

"You bloody sucker," he said through clenched teeth. He jinxed hard down again and rolled away, scanning his LIDAR and HUD.

Chambers had locked onto one of the Chig fighters, easing her gloved finger over the trigger of the laserguns. The excitement and anticipation she felt every time she sat in an endo-exo transatmospheric fighter jet released a rush of adrenaline into her body. She felt one with the Hammerhead for the moment, intent on coming down on her prey like an eagle with deadly talons.

Soon the Chigs had been shot down and the Marines resumed their course towards the planet. Shortly, before the Hammerheads and the ISSCV reached the atmosphere of Anvil, the crafts split up.

"Aces, rendezvous at four-four-eight on 1400 hours," McQueen announced over the com. There was a long pause before the Colonel continued: "Watch your six, Queensix out!"

Meg switched off the com and punched the landing co-ordinates into her computer. Since the last time she had been in a Hammerhead, she had improved her skill with it. For months she had read every manual concerning the Hammerhead's controls and now she felt as at home as in her Spittie.

She turned her head to see Hawkes' jet on her ten and she tipped her wings when she noticed that he was looking out for her jet as well. They entered the planet's atmosphere smoothly, without any detection of Chigs which made both pilots edgy.

"Ace, here Jack," Cooper announced over the com as they glided through the highly dangerous atmosphere of Anvil. "Do you copy?"

"Copy, Jack," Meg answered. "Go ahead!"

"It's strange but the last time I got here, uh ... there were more patrols around. This is the planet where they hatch their offspring for crying out loud," Cooper groaned. "Sorry, I think I kinda get paranoid ..."

Chambers understood his feelings, from what she had learned of the classified reports Ross had given her, she had at least expected that they would encounter heavy attacks and defensive lines but there was nothing. Only the odd satellite probes which were so far spaced in orbit that they were not able to pick them as targets.

"Then make that two, Coop. I've got this bad feeling creeping up my back. It's as if they are awaiting us ..."

"Yeah ..." Cooper replied and probed his HUD. "Reaching landing co-ordinates in five mikes!"

"Copy, Coop," Meg said and adjusted her HUD and NAV. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she nearly missed the readouts on her LIDAR. Two Chig fighter jets were quickly advancing towards Hawkes' and her own co-ordinates.

"Shit, Chambers, look out!" Hawkes yelled over the com and at the last possible moment she jinxed the on-coming jet and missed its laser fire only by inches.

Megan clenched her teeth when the Hammerhead rocked under the impact of another canon of bursts. She hit the thrusters hard, forcing the jet into a steep rise. She grimaced as the force of several Gs threw her back into her seat and she propelled the jet towards space again.

The databars were all flashing red lights at her and a computer-voice announced: WARNING: THRUSTER CONTROL MALFUNCTIONING! HULL INTEGRITY DOWN! AUTO-OVERRIDE IN FIVE SECONDS!

She angrily punched the off-button and the databar flickered into darkness and the voice ended abruptly. She had almost reached the stratosphere of the planet when the Alien fighter had caught up with her and the LIDAR acknowledged that he had locked on.

"Not if I can help it," Chambers murmured and killed the thrusters, letting the jet drop down towards the ground head-on as the natural gravity of the planet caught the jet. The Chig fighter who had been trailing her from behind almost collided with her as she dropped down on him and when he tried to jinx she got the target lock on and with a mocking salute, she engaged the laserguns on him.

Cooper had watched after he had taken out the remaining jet and he shook his head angrily as he noticed her dare-devil manoeuvre.

"Shit, Chambers, you're not a kamikaze!" Cooper shouted, barely hiding the fear in his voice. "If ya do that shit again I gonna kill ya!"

"Oh-uh ..." Meg mumbled over the com, concentrating on her HUD. She had switched the databars back on, but the flashing lights commenced.

WARNING: THRUSTER CONTROLS MALFUNCTIONING!

"Shit!" Chambers exclaimed and almost ripped the flight-stick out of the panel. She desperately tried to force the jet back into a level position to the ground but as the swamps of planet 2063-Yankee gradually filled the window of her hood, she knew she had just one chance to get out of the Hammerhead alive.

"Coop, have to get out with the standard emergency exit. Repeat: Engaging STANDARD emergency exit!"

She let go of the stick and securing her rucksack firmly to her chute harness, making sure in her haste that nothing would entangle the strips, she engaged the emergency button. 

"NO!" Cooper yelled and witnessed as the canopy of her Hammerhead was blown away and she was shot out of the cockpit.


	9. Crash Landings

Redemption

Chapter Nine

Anvil

McQueen and West landed the ISSCV on the designated co-ordinates and prepared their gear. As West picked up the additional rucksack containing rebreather helmets and masks he exchanged a glance with McQueen.

The Colonel seemed concentrated on the task of slipping another rucksack containing the additional O2 supply onto his shoulders but when he noticed the weary glance, he looked up.

"Everything ok.?" McQueen asked and West slowly nodded.

"Yes, Sir," he answered and handed him his rifle. As Nathan turned away to open the hatch, McQueen held him back with one hand.

"West," he said and after the young Marine had turned around to face him, he gave him one of his rare half-smiles. "It's all right to be scared," the Colonel said slowly. Nathan swallowed and nodded.

"I know, Sir. But it's not that I'm afraid to die, I'm afraid of what we find once we've reached that bunker ..."

McQueen nodded his head. He had seen too many atrocities back in the AI-wars not to fear what happened if they encountered the POWs. He squeezed the young man's shoulder reassuringly.

"Let's go!" McQueen said and both Marines left the transporter.

Slowly, the two Marines made their way through the swamps, careful to avoid any Aliens patrolling the countryside after they had camouflaged the transporter. After half an hour of continuous hiking, McQueen gestured West to duck for cover.

Nathan edged his way to the Colonel, slithering through the water. When he had reached McQueen, both men watched as a Chig patrol scanned the area. Through the fog of the swamps, the Aliens looked even more dangerous and archaic than usual. McQueen counted five Chigs, two of them carrying the dangerous photon blaster rifles whereas the remaining three only carried their scythes.

"They seem to look for something," West whispered and McQueen nodded his head.

"I just hope, they find what ever they are looking for soon," McQueen retorted, slowly adjusting his M-590, he had locked onto the nearest Chig with the TS when a sixth Chig came forward, gesturing wildly.

"What is it?" Nathan asked.

"They have probably found something," the Colonel murmured. Through the TS of his rifle, he could see that the Chigs were examining a piece of cloth. As far as he could see it was a torn piece of a standard-issue USAF flightsuit.

"Shit," he exclaimed underneath his breath.

"Sir?" Nathan asked and crept nearer.

"Either they've found the missing Marines or one of our Spades ..." McQueen answered sternly and Nathan shuddered when he saw his eyes. Besides the usual 'thousand yard stare', the young Marine saw the cold fire of bloodthirst in his eyes. Before Nathan could recover, McQueen had jumped to his feet and took the Chigs under fire. Nathan knew that IVs were quick, he had seen Cooper more than once reacting in a split second but McQueen ...

_Hell, this man was a quick killer_, Nathan thought before engaging his rifle as well.

_When the Chigs brought me back to the cell, I heard screaming from one of the other cells. Although I had a hard time, knowing what the silicates did to the other POW I was somewhat relieved that I was not alone. That there was someone out there ..._

They didn't come for me again ... Something is going on. I remembered something last night ... or was it day? I wish I could see if it was day or night. I remembered about a poker game ... It was dark and we played poker ... I remembered the faces again .... Nathan and Cooper ... and the names Wang ...Vansen ... Damphousse ... Why are those names important to me? Why do I think that they are part of me, of what I am?

And something else crossed my mind. I was part of the Wild Cards once, whatever that means. The AIs keep telling me that I should give in, but I won't, I can't. Not again! Never again!

Why am I so determined to withstand them? I got this feeling that I've gone through something like this before and everyday one small piece of the puzzle falls into place, I just don't know if I can stay alive long enough to finally realise who I am ...

_Keep breathing. Keep breathing, you stupid bitch_, Chambers reminded herself over and over again as her parachute opened and yanked her up again. Taking in great gulps of air inside her helmet she tried to fight the sudden dizziness she was experiencing. Falling at a current rate of twenty feet per second due to the low-oxygen atmosphere, she could count herself lucky that she had not passed out. When she heard the soft throb of propulsion engines above her head she looked up and saw Hawkes' Hammerhead giving her a wide berth.

"Ace, do you copy?" the com crackled into life and Megan slowly raised her hand to turn up the volume on her helmet.

"Copy, Jack. I hear you loud and clear!" she replied.

"Ace'o'Spades, about two klicks to your pos on forty-seven degrees left there's a clearing. Try to go down there. Repeat: forty-seven left to your pos," Cooper said, forcing his voice to a non-committal tone. But despite his try to sound all business Meg could hear the fear in his voice.

"Affirm, Jack. Forty-seven to current pos," Megan acknowledged. She grabbed the strings of the parachute and tried guiding herself towards the co-ordinates.

The falling rate increased and when she could see the first trees below her, she knew that the impact would hurt. Working like a functional automaton, Megan raised her knees to her chest, preparing herself to make a good schoolbook downer. But as she could make out the ground below her better, she thought that was not such a good idea after all. For all she knew that swamp down there could be a quagmire and she didn't want to risk drowning.

"As if I'm not mucksweating all along," she whispered as she prepared herself for the impact. She hit the ground feet first, almost spraining her ankle on a protruding root but she caught herself before she fell head-on into the mud.

"Great, just what I need, a good, soaking mud-bath in the middle of a black Op," she chided herself as she unclipped the ruck-sack and rifle. After she had unclipped the harness and despotised the chute, shoving it under a nearby tree, she shouldered her back-pack and checked her weapon.

"What are ya drivelling about?" Cooper asked over the com and Meg closed her eyes for a moment. "Get your ass over here so we can get on with the Op. With your stupid stunt we lost a helluva lot of time ..."

"Give me a break, will you?" Chambers asked through clenched teeth. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to pull such a stunt on purpose? I'm not a bloody tank!"

"That could be questioned, Chambers. After all your father sure is!" Hawkes retorted to her challenge and Megan had to laugh despite herself. Over the passed days, Hawkes had begun to treat her with an air of superiority and he had tried to do his best to ignore her. But she had known better for she had caught his eyes on her every time she had happened to look at him.

"Whadda ya know," she said in an exaggerated drawl. "I sure ain't forgetting when you keep reminding me!"

"Would you stop babbling and advance to my pos?" Cooper suddenly asked with an exaggerated sigh and for a moment Meg could figure him as a CO himself in a few years time.

"Don't push a Royal Air Force Squadron Leader, Lieutenant!" she growled and switched on her digital compass. She could make out Cooper's PLB just a few hundreds away from her and quickly, she made her way towards him.

Hawkes had landed his Hammerhead according to USMC manuals and after he had booby-trapped the jet, he staked out the immediate area. He heard Chambers even before she came into sight and he asked himself what she had learned about black Ops during boot camp.

"You sure skipped 'stealth' during your HIST," he greeted her, his voice dripping with sarcasm, as she came forward between two large trees. Megan rolled her eyes to the tree tops and sighed.

"Cut it out, Hawkes. You're talking standard-issue US Marine Corps HIST here. I've only got a RAF HIST where I learned to be a jet-jockey ..."

She checked the compass again but when Cooper did not give a retort, she looked up. Cooper was standing right in front of her.

"You scared the shit out of me, Meg," Cooper said hoarsely. "And I swear to you if you do anything like that kamikaze stunt again, I gonna kick your ass. VC or not ..." He was so flustered about what had happened that he almost reached out to kiss her, but then he remembered that they both were wearing rebreathers and not on speaking terms with each other. Megan had to grin despite herself. This idiot really cared, she thought. Perhaps she wasn't on a lost cause crusade after all.

"What's so funny, uh?" he asked gruffly.

"You sure make a woman feel cared for ..." she retorted and grinned. Cooper just stood there, watching her.

_Yeah, he cared, so what?_ he asked himself, not sure why she had reacted to his yelling and ranting in such an unusual way. After all why shouldn't he care? She had scared the living daylights out of him when he saw her engaging the emergency exit. The Marine shook his head and turned away but Meg's laughter still followed him.

_This woman can drive a man nuts with her teasing_, he thought. His first intention had been to throttle her as soon as he could get his hands on her, but when she had stepped out of these trees, seemingly unscathed, he had been relieved. Cooper looked up from the SRR and squinted his eyes. The initial terror of almost loosing Chambers and his urge to break her neck for scaring him so much had worn off and as he looked over to Chambers who was standing a few yards away from him, he imagined doing different 'stuff' to her, like kissing.

_Oh, boy, he thought; you're sick, pal, you're really sick. What you need is a vacation_. He almost laughed.

_Right; that's what got me into this in the first place_.

The SRR showed no enemy movement in the immediate area and he let out a sigh. Chambers had heard it over the com and her head jerked up abruptly.

"What is it?" she asked over their com-channel and Cooper shrugged his shoulders.

"No enemy movements so far!" he answered according to the rules. He had to smile at that. When Shane had been his CO, he had deliberately unnerved her with his off the book remarks.

He changed the SRR channel to detect the PLBs of the rest of the five-eight. He picked up Nathan's and McQueen's signs about one and a half klicks to the Southwest, slowly advancing towards their point.

"We should move on," Coop said and switching the SRR off, he handed it over to Megan. Picking up his M-590, loading it without giving the rifle another look, he waited until Chambers had joined him. Slowly, they advanced onto the co-ordinates of the bunker. Over the passed fifteen mikes, Megan had been able to detect several PLBs coming from the bunker, but either the atmospheric disturbances or some material in the walls of the bunker prevented him from getting definite readings.

Steadily, they moved to the bunker co-ordinates, their boots squelching in the mud of the swamps they were crossing, making every step they took difficult. Cooper had just helped Meg out of what looked like a small baby quagmire when they both saw the disabled ISSCV-cockpit. Both pilots rushed forward, crashing through the calf-high water as they approached the cockpit.

Hawkes eased the hatch open carefully with Megan covering him from across his position.

"Calling card?" she inquired but Hawkes shook his head no.

"Cover me ..." he simply said and swung himself over the rail into the cockpit. The cockpit was empty, only the faint light of the databars glowing in the darkness. After he had checked the readouts, he switched them off and looked around. The distress beacon had not been engaged and he could not find any clues about the whereabouts of Shane and 'Phousse.

Megan had circled the cockpit and when she stood on the far side of it, she detected something lying on the ground. She had almost stepped on it and when she squatted down and examined the carefully cleared rock beneath her feet, she held her breath.

"Coop?" Megan asked over the com. "I think I've found something ..."

Hawkes rushed out of the cockpit and immediately was at her side. When Megan pointed her hand towards the rock on the ground he drew in his breath. Someone had carefully cleaned the rock, making sure that the flat surface was dry. On top of it lay a shattered piece of the cockpit's window.

"Shane and 'Phousse?" Megan asked and held up a small torch light. Cooper nodded and directed her hand towards the glass. Beneath it lay a ripped off five-eight squadron patch and a small packet of sugar.

At least Shane survived the crash, he thought and had to smile despite himself. He hadn't known that Vansen still stashed sugar, harking back to their distressing stay on Demios.

"They are alive ..." Megan whispered and put a hand on Cooper's shoulder. She watched as he picked up both and tucked them in one of his breastpockets beneath his armour.

"McQueen has to see this ..." he said and stood up. Together they made their way towards the bunker.


	10. A Card Found

Redemption

Chapter Ten

Anvil

_The screams ... they keep on and on and on. Last time I heard something like that I was screaming ... but those aren't my screams now. It's not my flesh that is being tortured ... The silicates have brought me some food and I can hear someone just across the corridor. There's another cell with people in it. I could hear them speaking ... a man and a woman ... But now everything is silent ..._

Perhaps they have just given up ... but I won't. I know it is important! I will never give up on me again ... 

T.C. McQueen cocked his rifle to the ground and let out a sigh of relief. For twenty, long-lasting minutes he and West had waited for their crew-mates to arrive and he had to fight the urge to give up on them. Ever since they had encountered the Chig patrol he had thought that they were dead. Or that they had somehow managed to kill each other in one of their unnecessary hustles. He watched as Chambers and Hawkes crossed the wide clearing, keeping close to the shadows of the trees.

"Thank God," he heard West whispering beside him and McQueen shot him a stern glance.

"What did you expect, West, they are Marines!"

West was about to point out that Chambers wasn't exactly a Marine but he held his tongue. Ever since McQueen had taken out the Chig patrol almost single-handedly, he had been wary, almost afraid of the Colonel. But then again the young man knew what In-Vitroes were capable of. Cooper had proven that again and again on many ground Ops.

Immediately, after Chambers and Hawkes had reached the Colonel and West, Cooper showed them about what they had found. McQueen was silent after that and the Marines waited.

He felt relieved that at least one of the Marines had made it safely to the planet's surface and yet he feared what the Chigs had done to the Marine when they had found either Vansen or Damphousse.

Or both, he added to himself. Perhaps they had made it out here alive and perhaps they were hiding somewhere, though that was out of the question. Their O2 supply would have run out by now.

"Alright, we're going in, "McQueen said and checked his rifle. "Chambers and Hawkes, you're team B, West and I are team A. As soon as we're in the bunker, we split up. SAR estimates that there are two corridors running along each side of the bunker connected through air vents. They also think that there is enough O2 inside, so save your supplies and take off the rebreathers. We comb the area for the MIAs and as soon as we have them we gonna get out, understood?"

Each Marine nodded solemnly and they all checked their gear again.

"Sir, perhaps West and I should team up," Hawkes said suddenly and three pairs of eyes watched him.

"You got a problem with Chambers, Lieutenant?" the Colonel asked in a cold voice, challenging him.

_Yeah, I got a problem with keeping my hands off her_, Cooper thought but he remained silent and shook his head.

"Sir, no, Sir!" he replied.

<"Alright, one more thing: save your last bullet if you encounter silicates ..." McQueen watched each of the pilots closely as they nodded gloomily.

Careful, not to draw any attention to the patrolling Chigs, they made their way to a side-entrance of the bunker. The structure was almost hidden behind great trees, obscuring the view even more with hanging lichens. Two Chigs were standing at the side-entrance and McQueen gestured towards Hawkes and West. He pointed towards the two guards then at both men and the Marines edged forward slowly. Silently, both Marines crept up behind the Chigs and took them out without a sound. West cleaned his K-bar on his battle suit and watched Hawkes. The IV had attacked the Chig without a weapon, killing him with his bare hands.

For a moment Nathan squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. After all those months being friends with Hawkes he still had to come to terms with the fact that the In-Vitro was a genetically created killer. He shrugged off the bad feeling creeping up his back and gave the sign for all clear to the Colonel and Chambers.

After they had entered the bunker, the teams split up and West followed McQueen through the dimly lit corridor. Communicating only with signs and gestures they methodically searched the air vents and doors leading off from the corridor. West wondered why the place looked so deserted when his thoughts were disturbed by screams coming from further down the corridor. McQueen stopped dead still and Nathan almost barged into the Colonel from behind.

"It's almost over," the Colonel said and turned towards Nathan. "If someone screams like that it's not going to take long anymore before they break down ..."

Nathan shivered at the cold, matter-of-factly voice but he knew that his CO talked from experience.

Slowly, they advanced towards the open room where the screams were coming from and from what the Marines were able to detect from their hide-out, two silicates were standing around a stretcher in the middle of the room.

"I don't want to hurt you, Marine ..." Elroy's voice drooled and Nathan felt his hairs stand on his neck.

"Just tell me what you know and all will be fine. Did you want to destroy the Alien's hatches? It isn't very humane to destroy a whole race in infancy, you know ..."

"I don't know what you mean ..." the prisoner said.

McQueen's head snapped up and he exchanged a glance with Nathan.

They had both recognized the voice.

"'Phousse ..." Nathan whispered and McQueen nodded.

"Let's get her out of here!"

_There is a commotion outside, I can hear them coming. But it doesn't sound as if they are silicates ... Yesterday I had a strange dream. Images floated by and I couldn't make hand or foot of it. But I remembered some faces again and at least I could name them. Vanessa Damphousse ... yes, and Nathan West, with his phototag around his neck, and Cooper, the big tank. But I still can't figure out why I'm here or what the other names and faces mean that keep coming up in my mind._

But it doesn't matter at the moment. What matters more is that I was not tortured for at least two days as far as I could estimate. A Chig came in yesterday or the day before, and tended to my wounds. Why did he or it do this? The Chigs are my enemies ... and yet one of them helped me.

Why? - They 're coming, I can hear their voices ...

Hawkes looked back over his shoulder and watched as Chambers advanced to his position on the far side of the corridor. When she had reached his point, she nodded and Hawkes pried open the door. Rifle ready, she rushed into the room beyond. Megan stopped dead-still in her track when she had reached the prisoner. In shock she stared at the Marine.

Lord, she thought, as she slowly went over to the prisoner. _That cannot be!_ When Cooper heard no sound coming from the cell, he cocked his head into it.

"Chambers?" he asked. "You alright?"

"Yes, Coop, but I need your help," he heard Chambers say.

Megan was squatting in one corner of the small confinement. When he advanced into the cell he could see that she was kneeling in front of something which looked like a pile of clothes. When he came to a halt beside her, he was able to see that the clothes moved and a smudged face appeared from inside of them.

"Jeez," Cooper exclaimed and slid off the back-pack. He almost couldn't believe his eyes. He shot Meg a glance and he could see that she was as shocked as himself.

Megan closed her eyes for a moment, then she slowly reached out a hand but stopped immediately when the Marine flinched at that.

"Shh, it's alright. It's me, Meg Chambers and this is Cooper ... We don't want to hurt you," Meg said. "We are your friends ... Don't you remember?"

The Marine looked at them and then suddenly a faint smile of recognition appeared on his face.

"Yeah, I know you ..." he whispered. "You're the Cards ..." The Marine closed his eyes and tears streaked his cheeks. Then he took Cooper and Megan into a tight embrace and laughed and cried at the same time. 

"I remember ... everything ... I'm Joker ... GOD, I know who I AM. I'm Lieutenant Paul WANG, 58th squadron, US Marine Corps ..."


	11. Decisions

Redemption

Chapter Eleven

Vansen sat with her back against the wall, facing the door. Ever since they had taken Vanessa away again she had made plans to escape. She had to get out of here, no matter what. She pushed herself to her feet and groaned when her leg gave way beneath her. Slowly, she limped over to the door, examining it closely. When she pulled at the handle she was surprised that it gave way towards her.

It could be trap, she thought but eased the door slowly open nevertheless. The corridor outside was only dimly lit and when she cocked her head around the doorframe she couldn't see anyone.

"Do or die," she whispered to herself and slipped out of the cell, not noticing the Chig who stood hidden in one of the ventilation ducts.

When the Marine disappeared into the opposite direction, the Chig stepped out of the shadow and walked over to the cell. Quickly, his hands engaged the closing-mechanism and deleted his access code to the panel. The last time when he had seen the red stinkers in this cell, he had been surprised that they didn't turn on each other. His race didn't know and understand the concept of compassion and yet he had felt something like that when he had watched the humans as they had looked after each other. He had even rescued one of them when one of the Elroy units had tortured him and now, he had even helped one of them escape.

The Alien shook his head at this. His superiors had told him and all the others from his hatch that the red stinkers were their mortal enemies and that they would kill everything, even their own race, to win this war. But everything he had been able to detect about the red stinks seemed to be opposed to the things the silicates had told them. It was not common to have these doubts, there were rumours spreading throughout the hatches that some who had asked had been erased and their tags destroyed. If one of his superiors found out about what he had done, he would be erased as well but at the moment he didn't care. All he could think of was that a race, albeit smelling unbearably, must not be that bad if they cared for their living and their dead.

Careful not to draw the attention of the silicate, McQueen slipped into the interrogation room. The room was empty besides the stretcher and a communication panel. The Colonel stared mesmerised at the scene and somewhere deep down inside of him the beast which had been created back at the mines of Omicron Draconis slowly, but definitely emerged from the abyss of his soul. With a feral sound escaping his lips, he threw himself onto the silicate, K-bar glistening dangerously in the brilliant light of the room. All his fury was released as he engaged the silicate, his anger ruling his body as the knife slashed through processors and interfaces, seeking the one thing that destroyed the AI's existence. The Elroy-unit tried to ward off the furious blows but it was to no avail, soon the silicate lay dismembered on the floor.

After all was finished, McQueen turned around and looked for other attackers with a crazed look. He went towards the still figure lying on the stretcher and Nathan, who had come in behind the CO held his breath for a moment, readying his rifle. It seemed as if the Colonel wanted to kill Damphousse as well, a hard look in his eyes, but then the young Marine was relieved to see that he tucked the K-bar back into its sheath and released the metal-clamps around the young woman's wrists and legs.

"Hey," McQueen exclaimed hoarsely when Vanessa Damphousse threw her arms around the Colonel and awkwardly, he petted her back. He still suffered the aftershocks of the killing and he did not trust himself to be gentle now. He pushed the woman slightly away from him and lowered his lids. "Thank me later, Damphousse. Now is not the time nor the place!"

The young woman gave him a crooked smile and nodded.

"Sir, yes, Sir!" she replied and with West's help she swung her legs to the ground and stood up. "Vansen is in the third cell to the right ..." Her legs buckled underneath her and Nathan grabbed her around her hip and straightened her.

"Keep it easy and slow, 'Phousse," he said and Vanessa smiled shyly at him. It was the most beautiful smile, Nathan had ever seen and he was relieved that despite what the silicates had done to her she had not lost her sense of humour. Half dragging, half carrying her, Nathan followed McQueen out of the interrogation room and according to Vanessa's directions they went to the cell where Shane was kept.

McQueen cocked his head around a corner to the corridor where the cell was situated. Three Chigs were standing at the far side of it and from what he was able to detect, all three of them were carrying photon-blasters. The Colonel turned back to West and Damphousse and he was relieved that the young woman had regained some of her strength again. Although she still needed West's help to keep herself upright, she had taken his gun and looked more like a Marine again than the defeated POW from five minutes ago.

"That's the situation. Three Chigs are standing just in front of the cell. We've to use smart grenades to take them out ..." Both Marines nodded at that and West slowly unclipped two grenades from his belt.

Nathan crept forward after he had made sure that the Colonel and Damphousse had hid in one of the air vents, he edged towards the corner of the corridor. After he had made sure that the Chigs were standing within a yard of each other he sent one of the grenades flying.

He was almost urged to watch as the grenade hit them but he ducked his head beneath his arms as he threw himself onto the hard ground.

The boom of the explosion reverberated through the corridors of the bunker and after the noise had died down, Nathan looked up. The Chigs had been hid by the full force of the grenade and for a moment he felt the bilge rise in his throat as he saw the dissected body parts, oozing green slime from every crevice. Quickly, the Marines rushed over to the door of the cell and opened it. The cell was empty and for a moment Nathan closed his eyes.

"But she was here, Sir ..." Vanessa whispered and turned towards the Colonel. McQueen checked the small confinement than gave the sign to further their search.

After Cooper had examined Paul's wounds and tended to them, he hauled the young Marine over his shoulder and they made their way to their meeting point. Megan checked her com and after she had established a secured line, she contacted team A.

"Team A, here team B. Roger?!"

"Team B, Queen Six here. Have retrieved Damphousse, repeat have retrieved Damphousse..." McQueen announced over the com and Cooper who had adjusted his mike mouthed 'hoo-rah', even Paul murmured a sigh of relief.

"Roger that, Queen Six. We've retrieved Wang as well ..."

There was a momentary silence over the com before McQueen's voice was heard again, together with two other very excited Marines all shooting questions at Chambers.

"Repeat: you found Wang?" McQueen asked, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Affirmative. Wang is safe and sound!"

After that the skipchatter died down and the search for other POWs continued. Megan raised her hand when they had come to another corridor leading to the north side of the building and Cooper put Wang onto the floor.

"What is it?" Cooper asked and Megan switched on the SRR.

"I'm picking up two more PLBs and various CPU signs. Straight ahead there have to be about six, no, eight silicates," she said and disconnected the SRR. "There are too many, I don't think we can take them out with ..." she shot a glance towards Wang whose head had wearily lolled back against the metal wall behind him. Cooper followed her gaze and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

"Meg, we can't leave either the pilots or Wang here ..." he whispered and Megan lowered her lids.

"I know, Coop. I'm just thinking about getting the hell out of here in one piece," she rubbed the bridge of her nose wearily. "I tell you what we do. You get Wang back to McQueen and the others and I try to stall those silicates as long as it takes, alright?"

Cooper stared at her, then shook his head.

"That's suicide, Meg, and you know that," he hissed angrily. "You're not a Marine, you told me that once too often!"

"There is no other choice, Coop. I can't carry Paul, he's far too heavy for me, besides he's in no fit condition to walk by himself with these burns on his legs. If we all backtrack now, those bastards will probably kill the pilots ..."

Cooper remained silent for long moments, then he slowly nodded. It was against his better judgement to leave Megan but what could they do? He knew she was right. But he didn't want to loose her.

"O.k.," he said and checked his ammo strips before he handed her three more strips. "Kill those bastards!"

Megan nodded and stashed the strips into one of the breast pockets of her battle suit. When she looked up again, Cooper was still squatting in front of her. Suddenly, he made a grab at her, encircling her neck with his broad palm and kissed her brutally, desperately. 

"Don't you dare die before we get that stuff worked out, Chambers," he growled and let go of her. Together with Wang he made his way quickly back to McQueen and the others. Chambers watched him go and for a moment she wanted to call out after him, but she remained silent. She had a task to perform and she was determined to succeed.

When Hawkes returned to the designated co-ordinates McQueen had given them, the others were in a dogfight with a Chig patrol and silicates. In the midst of the battle the Marines did not realise that one of them was missing but when they had taken out the attackers with smart grenades, making sure that no enforcement were coming, McQueen took a long look at his Marines.

"Chambers?" he asked wearily and Cooper reloaded his M-590.

"We split up. She is looking for the remaining pilots," he said matter of factly but it was clear to them all that he was scared for her. Nathan shot him a glance then shifted uncomfortably. He and Vanessa exchanged a look with each other, then Damphousse stood up.

"I'll carry Wang back to the ISSCV, then West can accompany Hawkes, Sir," she said sternly.

Paul who had remained silent until then shook his head and tried to scramble to his feet.

"No need to carry me, 'Phousse. I'll manage, just give me a helping hand now and then," he said. All eyes watched him wearily and the young Marine returned their gazes with an almost stubborn look.

McQueen watched his determined face then nodded.

"Alright! You have thirty mikes to find Chambers. If you don't turn up at the ISSCV on 2100 hours we're out of here," he checked his watch and West and Hawkes did as well. "It's 1930 sharp. Ready, ready, hack!"

Both Marines stood up and made their way back to Chambers' position.

McQueen watched them until they disappeared behind a bend of the corridor.

He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed them wearily. He knew that some of them might die but unconsciously, he had thought that it would be him, not any of his Marines. If he had been a religious man, now would be a good time to start praying but he couldn't.

"Sir?" Damphousse inquired and McQueen's head snapped up.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"They'll find Chambers and Vansen, I know it." She said reassuringly and he nodded his head but still he had doubts.


	12. Redeem thyself

Redemption

Chapter Twelve

Photonblaster fire exploded right behind Chambers and she threw herself onto the ground, her rifle ready. The young Squadron Leader could feel the heat of the fire grazing her back and legs and she bit her lips to suppress the pain. The silicates had hidden themselves behind an open cell door while the Chigs just kept alongside the walls, raining her with fire.

She gazed through the TS of the M-590 and took the attackers under fire, making sure that she killed or disabled the enemy with one shot. She was pretty low on ammunition as it was and she could not waste any. The fire died down all of a sudden and she crept forward on all fours.

"Hey, Carbon-shit!" the voice of a silicate sounded through the silence. "You try to take us and your buddies here die, understood?"

"Hiding behind the skirts of POWs, silicate?" Megan yelled. "Why don't you come out and we both settle this matter alone! Or are you frightened to fight face to face with a RAF officer ?"

"Those POWs are US Marines, RAF _OFFICER_. They're none of your business ..."

"Just shut the fuck up, silicate, and come out! I'm here for business, not idle chatter!" Megan shouted and took aim through the telescopic sight. She saw movement in the shadows of the door but try as she might she couldn't get a clear target.

"You should watch your manners, Carbonite," the silicate said. The voice sounded farther away now and Megan cursed beneath her breath.

Slowly, she raised to her feet and advanced towards the door.

When she had reached it within a few yards, she saw that one of the persons lying on the ground was wearing a standard flightsuit.

"Help me," the man whispered and turned his head slightly towards Meg. "Help me die!"

Megan had come closer and she pulled the man out of the way.

"No, you will not die!" she rasped and slipped off her back-pack. She rummaged through it until she found the first aide kit and after a look onto his name tag, she said: "You just keep breathing, Patterson. Alright?"

The USAF pilot shook his head slightly and flinched, when Megan ripped open the flightsuit and took a look at the stomach wound. To her relief it was not a bullet wound, one of the Chigs must have stabbed him with a scythe. While she worked to stop the bleeding, Patterson groaned and tried to edge away from her hands.

"They have Carlson ..." he said and grabbed Megan's arm. "You've got to get her. I doubt she'll hold herself together any longer. She needs more help than I do ..."

"First of all I will get you fixed up and then I'll get Carlson," Meg reassured him and continued dressing the stab-wound. It was a poor job, she knew this but for the time being it had to suffice. She was glad that Patterson had passed out again and she put the aide kit back into her ruck-sack, when her com crackled into life.

"Chambers, do you copy?" Nathan asked and Megan readjusted the mike to her mouth.

"Yes, West, I can hear you," she answered. "There are at least two more POWs. I've found Cpt. Patterson, he is severely wounded and needs medical help ASAP. Another POW is named Carlson, the silicates have taken her with them."

"Roger that, we are on our way. Just sit tight until we meet you!" Nathan said.

"Negative, West. The silicates already have an advantage, I'm going after them!"

"Don't be so stubborn, Meg!" Cooper growled over the com. "You don't have to prove anything to either McQueen or yourself. Just stay put, understood?"

"Since when do you give orders, Lieutenant? I'm going after them, end of discussion!" she switched the com off and raised to her feet. After she had made sure that Patterson would be alright, she headed into the direction the silicates had disappeared.

She could hear them before she caught sight of the silicates and the POW. They had reached a second exit and the Felicity-unit was quickly working on the air locks.

"Shit," Chambers exclaimed beneath her breath and hid in the deep shadows of an air vent. If the silicates opened the air lock she was done for. Meg had left the helmet with Patterson to make sure she wasn't hindered or slowed down by anything. Now she wished, she had taken it with her.

_Now what_? she asked herself and rubbed her temples wearily. She checked her ammo strips and she had seven bullets left. If she aimed correctly, she should be able to use one bullet each to take out the three silicates.

_IF she was able to hit and kill the silicates first time around, that was!_ Being in a Hammerhead or a Spittie it wouldn't have been a problem at all but here ... Since boot camp she had been a lousy marksman with a rifle and even now, almost seven years after she had first joined the RAF Corps, she still wasn't a good shot with handguns.

But time was running out. She had to act now or the silicates would get away with the POW and she would die due to the oxygen loss.

Carefully she took aim, suppressing the quiver of her hands and arms as she raised the rifle. The second code for the air lock was punched into the panel and the system gave off a soft beep. Suddenly, a Chig appeared from an adjoining corridor and Megan reacted purely on instinct. Taking out Felicity first she gunned them down, using almost all of her rounds. One of the silicates, Justin, hid behind Carlson and rained Megan with gunfire.

Suddenly, she saw a movement on the fringe of her perception and when she ducked her head slightly, she saw someone creeping up from one of the ventilation ducts on her left.

"Get the hell over here, Chambers!" Shane Vansen called and Megan started to rise. She was halfway across the corridor when she saw another Chig coming up behind the Marine.

"Vansen, duck!" she yelled and threw herself unto the attacker. Shane Vansen flung herself unto the floor, trying to get hold of the M-590 Megan had dropped. Checking it she realised that there were only two bullets left and she cursed. She aimed at the AI and with one perfect shot in the head she took him out. When she turned she saw that Megan was in a hand to hand fight with the Chig.

Too late, Chambers duck for cover and soaring pain shot through the left side of her torso as the scythe hit her. She cried out in pain and rolled over on the ground, the K-bar sliding across the metal floor. She tried to grab her gun from the hipholster but her left arm was paralysed. She yelled out frustrated and used her right hand to get to the gun. A shadow fell onto her and when her head snapped up, she looked straight into the metal mask of a Chig. Scythe in hand, he towered over her and Megan inhaled deeply.

"Come on, Chiggy, do it," she rasped, blinking away the dizziness.

_This is it then, do or die_. But she wasn't afraid, she felt cool, calm and collected. The Chig raised the scythe and Megan braced herself as the blade came rushing down towards her in a perfect, blazing arch.

As soon as they had left the bunker, they ran into Chigs and silicates. McQueen and Damphousse engaged fire on them, while Wang threw the rest of their smart grenades. When all was over, Paul trotted over to one of the AIs, it was an Elroy model, still functioning.

"Paul ..." Vanessa said but broke off when McQueen touched her arm and shook his head no. As the young Marine knelt down awkwardly and grabbed the silicates head, the 'Cards held their collective breath.

"Wang, Paul," the machine said in an unnerving soft tone and gazed up at the man. "How can you do this? We told you that we did not intend any harm, we're your friends ..."

Relentlessly, Paul drove a K-bar into the silicates' head and shoulders, twisting the blade around once, twice, three times and more.

"You wanna have some more, AI?" he shouted and let go of the dismembered Elroy-model. Aching all over his body he managed to get onto his feet again. They had played around with his mind but this time he had been prepared. He had not given in to their coaxing, he had remained strong. When he looked up, he saw his friends and CO still staring at him and he gave McQueen the knife hilt first. 

McQueen took it and nodded, he knew what Paul must have gone through and as the young man passed him and stumbled, he caught him around the shoulders and they made their way to the ISCCV.

There weren't too many patrols around after that and McQueen wondered for the umpteenth time why the Chigs had no reinforcements on this planet. He couldn't understand that these Aliens did not protect the lairs with their unborns better.

Shane took aim and sent the last bullet on its way, the head of the Chig almost ripped apart under the impact. Gas escaped in a furious hiss from the downed Chig, blinding Shane and Megan for a moment. When all was over the two women exchanged a look and Shane answered Meg's crooked grin despite herself. They were both covered in green ooze and blood and after Shane had pulled the Chig off Chambers she exhaled softly, blood was pooling around her slowly.

"How bad?" Meg asked in a whisper and Shane shook her head slowly.

"Bad ..." the young woman answered and quickly stashed some gauze from the medikit onto the bleeding and when she wanted to give her a shot of painkillers, Megan cringed away.

"Don't be such a sissy, Chambers," Shane coaxed. "You don't want to tell me you're afraid of syringes, do you?"

"The meanies ... make sure there's no phyllophetamine in it!"

Shane understood immediately and checked the tag on the syringe, after she had made sure that it wasn't an addictive drug she gave Megan the painkiller. Soon, Megan could feel that the pain slowly subsided and she drew herself into a sitting position.

"That was close," Megan said, hugging herself and Shane watched her.

"What are you doing here anyway, Meg? Did you go AWOL again on one of your private crusades?"

Megan had to laugh at this.

"Believe it or not, Shane, I'm actually on R&R. McQueen, Nathan and Coop are here as well," Meg answered and shifted uncomfortably to raise to her feet. Shane bent over her and helped her up.

"Come on, girl, we've to get out of here!"

Suddenly, a loud blast went off and Shane swung around. Lt. Carlson had grabbed one of the discarded weapons and had shot at ... them. Now the woman was screaming at the top of her lungs and it seemed as if she was loosing her grip.

"Shit, woman, are you mad?" Shane growled and making a grab at her, she kicked the rifle out of her hands.

But the woman avoided the kick and turning on her heels, she headed towards the nearest corridor. Shane flashed Megan a questioning look and after Meg had nodded, Shane grabbed the K-bar and ran after the woman. Megan followed more slowly.

Following the crazed POW down the corridor was more difficult than Shane had expected. Obviously, this woman knew which way to go and which turn to take. The young Marine had just rounded another corner when she spotted the POW with two silicates at the other end of the passage. Shane hid quickly behind the corner and closed her eyes for a moment.

_Two against one!_ she thought. _And counting in the woman it looked even worse_. Her head snapped up when she heard a noise coming up from behind, and ready to pounce on her alleged attacker she swung around. She exhaled softly when she came face to face with Chambers. The woman's face was pale and the dressing around the middle of her body was drenched in blood again. Somehow Meg had managed to get her gun out of the holster and she was holding it awkwardly in her right hand.

"How are you doing?" Shane whispered, knowing full well that in Megan's condition the woman wouldn't be any help.

"I'll manage as long as I don't have to break an Olympic record," Megan retorted. "Shane, do me a favour and get the safety off," she shoved the gun into Vansen's hand and she did as she was asked.

"Are you sure you can handle the gun with your right hand?" Shane inquired, knowing that Chambers was left-handed.

"Just keep out of the way when I'm firing," Megan said through clenched teeth. She clutched her left arm as pain shot through the left side of her body. "Where's Carlson?"

"At the end of the passage. It seems she's quite friendly with the AIs ..." Shane replied and both women each took a turn at catching a look at the end of the corridor.

"Stockholm syndrome," Meg whispered and Shane looked at her somewhat confused. "She thinks that we're her enemies ..." 

Both women took a look again when they heard a door open. They edged slowly closer, always using the shadows of the dimly corridor to advance, they reached the door and the guardroom behind it.


	13. Deadly Fields

Redemption

Chapter Thirteen

Hawkes and West almost stumbled over the discarded backpack lying in one of the corridors. Cooper quickly took a look at the items and when he noticed that the rucksack and the floor around it was covered in blood, he cursed loudly.

West looked up from the medikit and both men exchanged a long look.

"It doesn't have to mean anything, Coop," Nathan said softly, trying to reassure himself as much as Cooper. "Probably one of the POWs needed help ..."

"But why didn't she take the backpack with her then?" Hawkes snapped sharply and stood up. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he tried to suppress the image which was rising in his mind.

He saw Meg bleeding to death in some remote corner of the bunker and try as he might he couldn't banish the image out of his mind. Why hadn't he ordered her to stay with Patterson? he asked himself over again. Why hadn't he just told her that he didn't want her to go after the silicates because he was scared for her? Suddenly it became clear to him that he might loose her, that he might never get a chance to tell her that he ... He shook his head and opened his eyes again.

How could he tell her that she was the only one besides the five-eight he would die for? That she was in fact the only one worth living for ...

Cooper glanced around and scanned the floor. A track of blood was leading away from the backpack and after he had shown it to Nathan, both men checked their rifles and followed it.

"We have to get out of here," the female AI said and bent over the small screen of the control panel. "I thought you said that four Marines wouldn't stand a chance against us and yet they have decimated all but two of us ..."

The person on the screen scowled at that and gave off a sigh.

"I told you to be prepared, Sandra-Z. Ever since we received the information that there was a black Op concerning the POWs I told you to be on guard! You should have known from your former encounters that those Marines are a cut above the others but no, you wanted to take a chance ..." the man cleared his throat. "But never mind that now. You have screwed up the mission, Sandra. My associates will not take that lightly on the account that your friends Elroy and Felicity promised to get rid of the Wild Cards once and for all ..."

"Ah, shut up," the silicate cut in. "The Chigs wanted to know what had happened to the hatch-master and we had to keep up the impression that the humans took him out instead of us. If the Chiggies ever grow suspicious we're all done for."

"That is your problem, not mine. Do you know how much time it cost us until we got the information about this Op? It is no easy task to kidnap a high-ranking officer and make him talk, especially if the officer in question is a tank," the man replied. "But we've taken care of that. Chambers is so high on the meanies that he won't even recognise his daughter and once we get rid of him, Fleet-Com will put the blame on him. Just make sure that you cover all traces relating to AeroTech when you move out ..." The screen went blank and Sandra straightened. 

Back at their hide-out Shane had watched Megan ever since the name Chambers had come up in the conversation. She almost expected that Megan would do something foolhardy as barging into the room but the cold look on the young woman's face made her shiver to the bone.

"Meg," she whispered. "We don't know if he was talking of your father."

"Yeah, but there is no other IV called Chambers in the US Army," Megan replied and readied herself. "I'm going in and if it is the last thing I do in my life. Are you with me?"

Shane nodded slowly and clutched the K-bar hard. 

Megan rolled across the floor, taking the room under fire, and Shane, awaiting the attack of the silicates as they tried to escape the trap, readied herself. But it never happened.

Meg had taken the two silicates out like a sniper, emptying the magazine of her handgun by doing so. The room grew quiet, only the occasional beep of the disabled silicates disturbing the silence. Cautiously, Shane stepped into the room, making sure that the AIs were completely wiped out. Vansen shook her head slowly and turned back where Megan still lay on the ground. The woman had put her head on her outstretched arm, her right hand still clutching the gun.

And she keeps telling me that she isn't a good shot, Shane thought and she was about to go over to her when suddenly someone jumped onto her back, taking her in a deadly chokehold. With a sudden jibe of the K-bar Shane managed to get herself released from the choke and when she turned she came face to face with Carlson.

"You killed them," the woman cried and threw herself onto Shane. Meg had rushed dodgily to her feet and tried to pull Carlson away but it was too late. Carlson fell onto Shane and both women crashed down onto the floor, almost taking Meg with them. The Lieutenant gave off an awful sound when she slumped against the young Marine.

Vansen closed her eyes for a moment then she felt that the body was pulled off her. With a sucking sound the knife disengaged from the dead woman's body and Meg sat down beside her.

For long moments both women were silent when suddenly, they heard footsteps and West and Hawkes rounded the corner to the room.

Ever since they had found the discarded backpack and the rifle further down the corridor, Nathan had expected the worst. They had followed the blood on the floor to the guardroom and seeing both his friends covered in blood, his heartbeat quickened. 

"Hey, what took you so long?" Megan asked in a shivering voice and looked up at the two Marines, clenching her teeth when pain shot through her body. "You told me you were right behind me ..."

West and Hawkes exchanged a look with each other.

_This woman was crazy, here she was, bleeding all over the place and all she could do was teasing them_, Nathan thought and he wanted to open his mouth when Cooper stepped forward and, despite his heartfelt relief, he pointed an accusing finger at Chambers.

"I told you to stay put, Meg, but no, the RAF Squadron Leader had to have it her own way! I should kill ya, you stupid tank-brat!"

"Don't bother, Mr. GI-Geequed, the Chigs almost did the job!" Megan snapped back.

"Now wait a minute, you two," Shane cut in but Nathan touched her arm and pulled her away.

"Leave them, Shane. They're like this during the whole Op ..."

"This is sick, Nate. She needs medical care and all they can do is yelling at each other ..." she broke off when Nathan turned her around to their two friends. The yelling had stopped and Cooper was squatting down in front of Meg and was holding her in his arms, then after a quick, almost embarrassed kiss, he helped her to her feet.

"You sure, you're alright?" he asked and Megan, despite her pain, was touched by the raw emotion in his voice. She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled dodgily.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'll be fine now!"

Shane grinned when she saw that and when she met Nathan's gaze she rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.

"Alright, end your skipchatter, we're moving out!" Vansen said.

McQueen and his team had made it to the ISSCV unharmed.

He checked his watch again and shook his head slightly. _Only ten mikes left before their flight window would close_. Once outside the bunker they had had no ways of communicating with Hawkes and West and the waiting made him nervous. He looked back into the shuttle through the open cockpit door and saw that the POWs were recovering. He had examined Damphousse and Wang earlier, cleaning and dressing their wounds with skin-gello. When Vanessa looked up she met McQueen's level gaze and came over to him.

"I'm a bit worried about Wang, Sir," she said slowly. "He's still disorientated and he can't remember everything that happened. From what he told me, he had been in the ISSCV shuttle when the Chig took him out. He had set the board gun on automatic and engaged the safety pod. I still can't believe that he made it out of there alive ... It's as if he has returned from the dead ..."

McQueen had listened to that and watched Wang who lay on a makeshift bunk, his eyes closed.

"Do you think he's a clone?" he queried and Vanessa's head snapped up.

"You mean like that Kylen-thing Nathan encountered on Kazbek, Sir?" she asked and when McQueen gave her a sharp nod, a shiver ran down her spine.

That couldn't be true! She knew Wang and she hadn't had noticed anything different about him when she had tended to his wounds but then again she had been intend on keeping her stomach and hands under control. Thinking of blood always made her nervous.

"He bleeds like any other human, I don't think that they can imitate that. As far as we know they hate blood because it reeks."

"We'll find out as soon as we get him to the infirmary back on the 'Toga," the Colonel replied and checked his watch again. _Five minutes left before they had to lift off_.

Getting back to the transporter was more difficult than they had thought. The bunker had been swarming with Chigs and more than once the Marines had to duck for cover and backtrack several times.

Megan hid behind Cooper's broad back, as they took cover in one of the in-numerous ventilation ducts. The blood loss had weakened her and she sleepily cuddled up against him and closed her eyes.

It was soothing to feel his body warmth against her cheek, she thought and tried to stay awake. Try as she might she couldn't stay mad at him, all his ranting during this Op had shown her that he cared for her.

She had to smile at that.

Unconsciously, Cooper's arm slipped around Meg and after he had made sure that she was alright, he checked his watch.

"We have to get out of here," he told Nathan and Shane and both nodded.

Shane had grabbed one of the discarded AI weapons and had taken point. When West and Hawkes had turned up, she had felt relieved and she had almost wept. It had been so good to see them again and after they had told them that Damphousse and Wang were with McQueen, she indeed had started to cry. But right now, she tried to think hard about leaving the camp and get back to the transporter.

"Alright, listen up," she suddenly said and Nathan had to grin at that. After all she had been through, the torture, the pain, the uncertainty, she acted like a real pro.

"You said that the main corridors run at each side of the bunker. What if we find a vent duct which is connected to the outside? The Chigs will concentrate on the main entrances and we could sneak out of here without them knowing ..."

"Negative, Shane," Nathan said. "We don't know if the vents have any connection to the outside. What if we follow one of those ducts and it turns out to be a dead end? We can't grope through the bunker any longer ..." he nodded is head towards Chambers.

Cooper had noticed it and he tightened his grip on Meg's shoulders.

"She'll manage!" He said in a determined voice. "She just has to!"

Shane smiled at that and put a hand onto his shoulder.

"Yes, Coop. I didn't want to say that she ..." _Is going to die_, she wanted to say but she cut herself short. _It was no good making all of them more scared than they actually were. It was a small miracle that Chambers had kept up with them as she had so far but she feared that Meg's time was running out_.

"Hawkes, Vansen," Nathan suddenly hissed and the CO swung around. In front of their hide-out, a Chig was standing and was looking around.

Nathan and Hawkes crept forward slowly, avoiding all sounds. The Chig was unarmed and alone. Slowly, Cooper pulled the safety off his gun and edged closer. The Chig swung around and held his arms up as he saw Cooper and Nathan advancing from the duct. It gave off a series of sounds, then it ducked his head towards a sidedoor. Cooper hesitated for a moment. This whole situation was like a deja-vu. When he had been on a secret mission on the planet Tigris, he had encountered one of the Aliens but instead of killing one another, they had headed for two different directions.

"What does it want?" Nathan inquired breathlessly and aimed his rifle at the Chig. The Alien held up his hands, gesturing towards the door with the control panel and took a step towards it. Cooper stepped closer, his gun ready and the Chig stopped immediately.

Shane had come out of the ventilation duct with Megan close at her heels and when the Chig noticed them, it made the click-clicking sounds again, this time gesturing towards Megan. The Marines looked at Chambers but she shrugged her shoulders wearily.

"Don't look at me, I don't know what it wants!" she rasped, drawing in her breath in painful gasps. When the Alien heard her voice he clawed his hands and then his left side.

"It's the blood, isn't it?" Nathan asked and pointed towards Meg.

To his surprise the Chig nodded and pointed at Megan again.

The Chig moved closer to the door; acting as if he wasn't held at gun-point, the Alien punched the access code into the panel and the door opened noisily. Giving off clicking sounds again he waved the Marines to the door.

"I'll be damned," Shane whispered and the Marines exchanged a long look.

_It could be a trap_, they all knew that but try as they might they needed this free passage to get to the transporter in time.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Nathan said and held the Chig at gunpoint. Carefully, the Marines filed out of the side entrance, when Megan passed him, he reached out one of his claws and Cooper, who was carrying Patterson, stepped between them.

"Don't you dare, Chiggy-man," he hissed. The Chig shook his head, then held up his hands in a surrendering motion.

Nathan watched as his squadmates left the bunker. He didn't know what to do after he had made sure that they were safely outside. He should kill it but try as he might he could not kill this Chig in cold-blood. After a moment's consideration, Nathan swung his rifle and sent the Chig down to the floor. As quickly as he was able to he crashed through the swamps, stumbling over roots and rocks, following the rest of the five-eight towards the ISSCV.

_They haven't made it_, McQueen thought as he checked his watch again. If he didn't start the propulsions now, they would miss the flightwindow to the Saratoga.

The Colonel grabbed the helmet and was about to put it on when he heard Damphousse's cry.

"Sir, they're coming," she exclaimed breathlessly and opened the hatch.

He scrambled out of the cockpit and helped dragging the dead body of the pilot into the transporter. When Hawkes lifted Chambers into the shuttle, McQueen was shocked to see her more dead than alive. He was reluctant to leave her at first but then his sense of duty took over and he quickly returned into the cockpit-seat beside West. 

As soon as they started the propulsion thrusters, the ISSCV was grazed by photon-blaster and gun-laser fire, but they got off the planet's surface without major damages.

Shane and Vanessa had grouped around Paul and Meg and they were conversing in hushed voices. Now, the aftershocks of their ordeal and their rescue had come back in a rush. Ever since they had reached the transporter, Cooper had kept to himself, watching his crew-mates. He was still coming to terms that they had made it, that they were re-united again. He had his family back!

He inhaled deeply and his eyes wandered from one of his friends to the other, making sure that this was real. When he caught sight of Chambers who was lying beside Paul on a makeshift bed, their eyes locked. For long moments they stared at each other before she turned her head away. Cooper shook his head.

_Was she still mad at him_? he asked himself. _Man, he had wanted to believe her, he really wanted to. When he had seen her sitting on the ground, with the blood slowly seeping through the bandages, he had thought he would freak out. She was so small and yet she had kept going as if she was one of the Marines. The feelings he had for her confused him, he wanted to throttle her and at the same he wanted to protect her. He didn't know what those feelings meant but if it had anything to do with the love-stuff, he didn't understand how the NBs worked that whole thing out. He had to make a choice_, he told himself silently and resolutely, he stood up.

When he reached his mates, Shane looked up at him and made room for him on the floor beside Megan. He slumped down beside her and Shane gave him a crooked smile. She petted his knee and turned towards 'Phousse.

"Let's see what Nathan and McQueen are doing," she said and both women stood up. After Vanessa had made sure that Paul was sleeping, she followed Vansen to the cockpit.

Megan had noticed Cooper coming over to her and she turned her head towards him.

"We made it," she said slowly and grinned at him.

Cooper nodded his head and looked shyly down on her.

"Yeah," he answered and a smile curved his lips. Megan reached out her hand and put it onto his.

"It seems as if I'm making a habit of almost getting myself killed and you sitting at my bed," she said. Both thought about the time when she had been hit by friendly fire during the UFEP and he had sat vigil over her. She smiled at that, even back then they had not been able to fight the inevitable.

"Coop?" she asked. "What I said back on Earth ... I didn't mean it, well I did at that time but not as it might have sounded ..."

Cooper shook his head at this.

"You were right, Meg," he said. "Uh, I behaved like a stupid tan..."

"Idiot!" she cut in. "People sometimes behave like idiots when they deal with love, Cooper!"

They exchanged a smile and Cooper bent down towards her.

_If what she was saying was really true then he accepted this._

He knew he felt SOMETHING for her and if it was love ...

His lips met hers briefly, confirming his doubts and yet reassuring him nevertheless.

They had travelled for about thirty mikes when West noticed friendlies on the LIDAR, covering their tail and when he looked through the cockpit-window he could see the 'Toga on his four.

"Thank God for small favours," Nathan said beneath his breath and McQueen nodded. The com crackled into life and he switched it on.

"Five-Eight, you're looking good on my LIDAR," Ross said. "LZ on flightdeck four."

"Roger that, Queen Six out," McQueen replied with a grin and he stirred the ISSCV towards the designated landing co-ordinates.

When they boarded the flightbay, Ross already awaited them.

After he had made sure that all members of the Wild Cards were safely back on board he gave off a sigh of relief.

"Sir, the five-eight asks permission to come aboard, Sir," Vansen said and those of the 'Cards who weren't severely injured snapped to attention.

"Permission granted, Captain," he said and grinned. "Welcome home!"


	14. Epilogue

Redemption

Epilogue

McQueen stood in front of the ICU and a body bag was lying not far off from where he was standing. On their ride back Patterson had died, never regaining consciousness again and the burial of both USAF pilots was scheduled for the next day.

The Colonel closed his eyes for a moment and thought back to those unnerving minutes until the Wild Cards had been finally reunited again.

_He had almost given them up, McQueen thought and shook his head. He should have known that they make it but deep down inside him, he had doubted that they would get out there alive._

When Vansen had examined Chambers' wounds, he had not thought that she would stay alive a minute longer, but she had kept on fighting.

Ross had called them to a debriefing immediately after he had made sure that most of the Marines were alright. In the O-room the 'Cards silently had listened to the Commodore's words, as he had told them about the newest development.

Chambers had been kidnapped and tortured by the silicates back on Earth and Vansen had confirmed that after she had reported the conversation between Sandra-Z and an AeroTech executive, confirming his doubts about the corporation's involvement in this war. All those deaths of good Marines and civilians had been in vain, for the good of some dubious corporation ...

McQueen swallowed hard and brought his mind back to one of the doctor's coming out of the ICU.

The 'Cards had only minor injuries considering what they had been through, though they all had to pass psychological tests once their wounds were healed.

After McQueen had inquired about Chambers' condition he was surprised that the doctor told him that given the amount of blood she had lost, it was looking well as long as her crew-mates would leave her alone.

At first the Colonel was confused at hearing this but when he rounded the bend of the corridor, he saw West and Damphousse scurrying into the infirmary, carrying what somehow looked like bottles of beer and tequila.

He heard their giggles and stepped closer.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Shane inquired as she took the beer Nathan was handing around.

"My father gave me some cash when Coop and I were back on Earth. The bar-tender just couldn't resist the prospect of having some money on his side ..." Nathan answered with a smirk and plopped down on a chair between Paul's and Megan's beds.

Wang sighed when he took the first gulps of beer and then he grinned.

"Hoo-Rah," he exclaimed and flashed his friends a smile. They were all laughing, even Megan who had been sewn up in the ICU and despite the doctor's orders had refused to be drugged by anything, joined them. Cooper was sitting beside her and she was propped up against his broad chest, sharing a beer.

Cooper suddenly unzipped one of his breast pockets and handed Shane a photograph which her sister Lauren had given him back on Earth. The photo showed all of the five-eight. Shane looked at the photo then at her friends and she raised her drink.

"To absent friends!" she said and they all bent forward, joining glasses by doing so. "And for staying alive one more hour!"

"To the Wild Cards!" Meg responded softly, eyeing each of them. "And McQueen!"

"Yeah, to McQueen!" they all joined in.

McQueen watched the scene through the window of the door and smiled.

_His kids_, he thought, _it was good to have them back again. Despite the fact that they had gone to hell and back again, they had not let themselves down, they had remained strong, a gung-ho. He was proud of them and seeing the 'Cards and their unusual vigil over Chambers and Wang, a feeling slowly emerged from the depth of his soul. But this time it wasn't the beast he had come to hate and despise and for a short moment had raised its ugly head on Anvil, it was another different emotion altogether._

Once, he had thought that he was not capable of loving any other human being but right now, he felt such a deep, protecting love for those young people in that room, it frightened and shocked him for a short moment.

After the panic of this newly discovered feeling subsided, he turned with a smile and was faced with Commodore Ross.

"Is that a proud father's grin I'm seeing there, Ty?" Ross asked and petted his friend's shoulder. "I think we should drink to that. I still have this thirty year old Scotch stashed somewhere and it's about time that we really get socked!"

McQueen smirked at his words and both men went off to the Commodore's cabin.

  


**The End**

  



	15. Notice

  


  


  


This is it ... the end of Part Three of the **Honoris Certamen** (Battle of Recognition) series.  
  
Meg Chambers' and Cooper Hawkes' story continues with Honoris Certamen Intermission #1: BACCHUS REVISITED - http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=630859 

Thank you for reading and reviewing,  
Una 


End file.
